


Event Horizon

by Arwen_Evenstar



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe, Angst, Cannon, Epic Battles, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lightsaber Battles, Lightsabers, Multi, some gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:24:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15920968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arwen_Evenstar/pseuds/Arwen_Evenstar
Summary: The old, decrepit body has fallen, finally. Wasn’t that expected? After all, there was a long tradition in the Dark Side of students bringing death to their Masters.This was no different.The intent, the resolve, was there. It only needed that extra push.The girl.He felt the conflict stirring within his pupil. And, slowly, the conflict became too loud for him to ignore. Kylo would be forever marred by the Dark, there was no going back - he made sure of it. The girl could try as she might, she would never succeed in full. He would be condemned either way - there was too much Solo in him, but he carried a heavy legacy.He was no Vader. But he would be always seen as one.He had served the purpose for which he had been trained. It had to be a willing Dark Force use to provide the final strike, tipping the balance in their favour.As I now join you in Darkness, as our scattered essences become one again, we are ready to push through the Force, through the between in the between. The power to destroy and create at our image is within our grasp.A new Galaxy. A new Universe. Controlled. Subdued.We have become death, the destroyer of worlds.





	Event Horizon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reylo Fic Recs](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Reylo+Fic+Recs).



> This story could not have been written without the support of my Reylo writing group extraordinaire of Reylo FanFic Recs.
> 
> Also have to send a huge thank you to my beta readers, Erin and Michelle, for their precious help with the editing of this draft and on-point comments and encouragement. Thank you!
> 
> A shout out to the mods of the Fest for helping to drive this story home.
> 
> Finally, to my musical muses that are always there to help me! I actually compiled a soundtrack for this story. If you want to check it out, just follow: https://open.spotify.com/user/scully101/playlist/7LWQSb55sJj7OrGIl6Mujm?si=_wke7kxZTJW1Fhikdrvs0Q
> 
> Comments are more than welcome!

 

**PROLOGUE**

The old, decrepit body has fallen, finally. Wasn’t that expected? After all, there was a long tradition in the Dark Side of students bringing death to their Masters.

This was no different.

The intent, the resolve, was there. It only needed that extra push.

 _The girl._ He felt the conflict stirring within his pupil. And, slowly, the conflict became too loud for him to ignore. Kylo would be forever marred by the Dark, there was no going back - he made sure of it. The girl could try as she might, she would never succeed in full. He would be condemned either way - there was too much Solo in him, but he carried a heavy legacy.

He was no Vader. But he would be always seen as one.

He had served the purpose for which he had been trained. It had to be a willing Dark Force use to provide the final strike, tipping the balance in their favour.

_As I now join you in Darkness, as our scattered essences become one again, we are ready to push through the Force, through the between in the between. The power to destroy and create at our image is within our grasp._

A new Galaxy. A new Universe. Controlled. Subdued.

_We have become death, the destroyer of worlds._

 

**ONE**

_Silence._

_Kylo looked around him. Nothing but desert surrounding him for miles._

_A scorching sun, a blistering heat. His clothes feel stifling on his skin. Why was he there?_

_“The girl. Rey.”_

_That was the reason. But she had fled from him, denied the offer to rule together, to leave the past behind._

_“You cannot turn away from your past; it is what defines you.”_

_“What’s this? This voice?”_

_Laughter. He sees figures dancing in the heat in front of him. Some seem to be fighting, others talking, someone passing by on a speeder. He squints his eyes, trying to recognize someone. He notices a tall figure playing with a child, and somehow that scene seems familiar to him. Suddenly, a person detaches from the crowd and walks toward him._

_A red lightsaber igniting. He is ready._

_The figure approaches. He squints. And then, realization. It is the girl._

_Rey approaches, looking at him with the same eyes that made him wonder. That made him hope. To find someone that could understand. Someone he could teach and confide in. A soul mate. The Force chose them. Didn’t it? Rey smiles. He feels his heart squeeze, uncomfortably._

_“Why are we here?”_

_“It's your dream, Kylo.”_

_Kylo. Not Ben._

_He eyes her. There is something wrong. Something in her stance, the way the mouth is set. A sarcastic smile that wasn’t there a moment ago._

_“Your past is part of you. You cannot escape it. It is what made you, Kylo. Made you more than what you could possibly have been have you stayed with your uncle. You are forever bound to the Dark.”_

_Kylo winces at the words. He knows them to be true. There could be no other path for him to take. They were scared of him. No matter what he said or did. They would shut him out. They would deny him. He had to become what they feared to survive, to prove that Light was a farce, that it didn’t redeem anyone, that it made them weak and doubtful, instead of strong and trustworthy._

_“You offered me your hand. To rule. To conquer. That is what you are: a taker. Deep down, it's what you want: to do as you see fit regardless of others, to have power. You want to prove to them all that you are more than a legacy. More than Vader. Even if it means burning everything on your path.”_

_Kylo feels her in his head, drilling into his mind. They are full of pain, the memories. He cringes, he clenches his teeth. Until it becomes unbearable and he screams, pounding his head and dropping on his knees. He looks up. Not Rey. Snoke._

_“You are weak, Kylo. You will never have what you seek. Let that be my final lesson to you.”_

_He hears voices overlapping with Snoke’s. Loud, screeching voices. Hideous laughter._

_The sky turns dark in seconds, the horizon shifts and twirls in front of him. He sees Rey, materializing from the crowd of ghostly figures, walking up the hill in the distance. She stops when she reaches the top._

_Kylo can only watch in terror as a shadow rises in front of her, dark and twisted, dripping with hate and fury.  It feeds on the Force and expands, swallowing everything on its path, destroying, until there is nothing. A Void._

_Kylo shouts her name, but no sound comes out. The Void is massive, monstrous, and definite. Fear freezes him in place. She raises her blue lightsaber to the shadow, ready to fight it._

_“She is strong.”_

_She turns her head to look at him. Her eyes are knowing, understanding. She smiles. He hears a whisper._

_“We will finish what we started.”_

_Is it her? Is it Snoke?_

_The child screams. The dark comes crashing down._

 

His eyes snapped open and he jerked awake with a gasp. He grunts and pants, the rush of adrenaline still present, the nightmare clinging to him like the sweat covering his body. He reaches for his mouth, closing his eyes and trying to settle himself.

“A dream," he murmurs.

It takes him a moment to register that there is someone else there. He feels her eyes on him. Across the room, Rey is sitting on a bed, looking as unravelled as he is. Her tunic is wet from sweat,hugging the contours of her form, leaving little to the imagination.

For a brief moment, he remembers how disturbed she was when she caught him undressing. It seems so long ago. She should cover herself, but she does not care, so fixated she is in his gaze. Kylo sees her gripping and twisting the bed sheets and his lips press into a hard line.

He blinks, waiting for her to disappear but she doesn’t. They hadn’t seen each other for this long for what seemed like ages. After Crait, in moments of anguish and distress, a fleeting shadow of her figure would appear, only to disappear in the following moment – no words were exchanged; but the  sorrow remained with him, as if it was suspended in mid-air.

He takes that stretch of time to properly absorb her features and he is surprised how much he has missed looking at her. She is thinner, dark circles surrounding her eyes, a pasty look to her complexion. All those months on the run have taken their toll.

She eyes him steadily, frowning a bit. He is bigger, if that is possible. His scar, once so red and raw, is now a sinuous line stretching from his face, down his neck into his chest. That line makes her insides clench and she fights that feeling. She missed that scar.

He hesitates to talk, wondering why the Force is prolonging the connection. Will it succumb into oblivion, be part of the dream itself? He realizes that she is hesitant as well, perhaps for the same reasons. He decides to take a risk.

“You look unwell.”

Rey freezes, startled at the sound of his voice, and then snorts, shaking her head in incredulity. Those are the words he decides to say? The last one had been “Please." And she remembered it well. “Nightmare," she finally replies, her voice clipped and flat.

Kylo chews his lip. A smile brushes Rey’s lips, in familiarity with that tell sign of his. A flash runs through her mind: him, nervous. His hand, reaching. She swallows, hoping that he cannot see how she, too, is anxious. “You?” she presses. He winces at the question and his left eye trembles. Another smile.

“Yes,” he answers, with a hint of curiosity that Rey is able to catch.

“Snoke,” they say, in unison. The realization that they both say that name aloud reverberated in their bodies, the agitation evident.

“What did you see? What did he tell you?” he asks first.

Rey looks at him. She has to be careful now, about what to tell, on what to share. He is, after all, her enemy. Whatever she had seen before is now no more. But she cannot help to be unsure of her own words, not when he seems – he feels – so exposed before her. All her indecision runs across her face like water, and Kylo drinks it, avidly, accustoming himself to her presence once more.

“That you were his tool. That you used me. That you were a monster,” she finally replies.

He lowers his eyes to her hands and then to his own, as if acknowledging those words as definite, forcing himself to believe in them.  

“That I was nothing,” she adds, in a whisper. His gaze locks with hers and he sees _it_. The dream, her pain, her scream. The figures trembling, hiding among the heat. How she saw him, on top of the hill, larger than life, armed with his lightsaber and the desert at his feet. How he faced the Dark, the vacuum pulling them. The Void. How it crashed over him and consumed everything. There was screaming.

He senses her fading. That once familiar, but almost forgotten, pull of the thread. Her body jerks forward, almost like she is not ready to let go yet. He should say something, before she is gone, before it’s too late.

“You aren’t nothing. I am here. I will always be here.”

He wasn’t sure she listened.

\-----

_The smells of ozone and blood are unmistakable. Hux sneers, revolted, as he looks at the body of Kylo Ren on the floor_

_This is your opportunity, a voice in his mind tells him. Take it._

_His hand travels to the blaster on his hip, the finger tracing the trigger ever so slightly._

_A noise._

_The smell of scorched skin and metal becomes more intense. He turns around, his gaze now falling on the severed body of the Supreme Leader. Is it…moving?_

_He witnesses, in horror, as the body of his master begins to move, the blood flowing back into his veins, into his arteries. Hux trembles as he sees the limbs, once inert and grey, shaking and twisting with horrible crunching sounds._

_He doesn't want to look, he doesn't. It disgusts him. But something makes him watch._

_Finally, the figure of the Supreme Leader rises, and faces him. But Snoke is changed. His scars are almost gone, it seems. His eyes are different. He does not hunch, he stands straight, powerful, giant. He is…more. Not Snoke. Just more._

_Hux is trembling and takes a step back, tripping over Kylo._

_“You were always a cur, Hux.”_

_Snoke takes a step towards him where he stands, panting and wincing._

_“You reek of fear,” Snoke continues. “Unlike our friend here.”_

_Hux looks at Kylo on the floor as Snoke draws near. Out of nowhere, the red saber is in Snoke’s hand and he ignites it, and for a moment Hux thinks that is it, he is done. The light of the saber flashes before him, mere inches away as it slashes through Kylo Ren’s body, exploding in a mass of blood and guts._

_The blood covers him from head to toe. His face is dripping. He is nauseated._

_Snoke is laughing. But it is a strange laugh. It is a laugh of a thousand creatures all fused into one._

_Yes, Hux is afraid._

_“Even a cur has its uses.”_

_The monstrous creature reaches for Hux’s neck and holds him up, far above the ground. He gasps and fights, scratching the large hands, choking. Snoke laughs, squeezing his General’s throat. His mouth is open wide, gigantic, inhuman, devouring. Hux is looking into its depths, black, empty. A Void._

_Something stirs inside him as the laugh becomes a guttural screech, deafening. Something is coming for him, invading him, occupying his body, violating his insides. Hux tenses, feeling his pores drenched in sweat and something else, something viscous, heavy, settles on him. Weighs him down, fills his chest until it is hard to breathe._

_Snoke releases his grip and Hux falls on the floor like a rock. Heavy and limp, numb to the pain. He only hears the voice, dripping with contempt._

_“Rise, knight.”_

_Hux takes one breath. It burns, eating him away. Two breaths, now cold like ice. Another, and then he feels it. The Dark. It is oozing from him, making him feel… is this how it is? This power, this resolve? Breathing is easier now. A smile creeps up to his face. It is now a laugh. He rises._

_“Yes, masters.”_

_Snoke, Sidious, Tyranus, all of them, surrounding him. He is them._

_“And now, cur, do our bidding.”_

_Snoke ignites a black lightsaber. With merciless hatred, it strikes Hux._

 

General Armitage Hux opened his eyes and gasped, reaching for his chest, expecting blood. But no. It is just the linen that he grips, his own reflection in the mirror in front of him. His hair is a mess.

It was just a nightmare – a dream. His throat feels sore and sensitive. He swallows and gets up, dismissing the droid that emerges from the wall. He stumbles to the mirror, to look at his throat. It is quite red and swollen. He coughs and runs to the fresher, to spit into the sink. He sees the blood, trickling down the metal bowl.

He gargled some water and then washed his face, expecting the cool to work. He feels feverish. _It was just a stupid nightmare caused by those damn rebels and that Solo scum that calls himself Supreme Leader. And what a fine leader that he is_ , he thinks. Hux looks at his reflection; he can’t help himself and adjusts his hair before going back to bed.

“Tomorrow we will handle the scum,” he murmurs to himself.

Without warning, he is out of breath again and his throat burns, his windpipe collapsing. He opens his eyes and he is floating over his bed. The mirrors rattle, as his hands try to hold onto something that’s not there. In front of him, a shadow forms out of the mirror, rising, solid and dark. Hux feels himself stretched thin, his life force sucked into that blackness.

“You will do our bidding,” a voice hisses. “You will bring Kylo Ren to his knees.” .

The shadow creeps over Hux and encloses him in a tight embrace, entering his mouth, ears, nose, pores. He wants to scream but he can’t. The burning, the cold, and then, knowledge, power, resolve. It all becomes clear in an instant.

His throat no longer hurts. He takes control over his body and stays where he is, feeling the power vibrating through him. He lets himself down, slowly. He smiles at the figures he sees in the mirror. No longer Hux. Just more.

“Yes… Masters.”

 

 

**TWO**

Kylo looked around the room at his generals. Pasty creatures, all of them. They looked like clones, actually, each one drier than the next. He knew what was lacking: some female insight and shrewdness. His mother had been a political animal, as well as most of her friends.

He thought of his mother then, the voice of the New Republic, tirelessly working for the common good.

Applauded. Idolized.

Rejected. Dismissed.

Made fun of by the people she had fought to protect. The same people that conspired and corrupted.  The same people that hailed her achievements against the Empire. And all because of her heritage. Of who her father was.

And that made him angry. How could she still defend them? And how could he be a problem, when those people were scorning her?

“Supreme Leader?”

Kylo snapped back from his reverie and glanced over to General….what was his name?

“General Maddox, there is no excuse for it," Hux remarked, guessing his thoughts. “You should have deployed your troops as soon as the Resistance landed on that moon.”

“I told you, it was impossible, our communications were inoperative. This thing, this…magnetic storm that comes out of nowhere keeps messing with our operative systems.”

“Really, General, you are blaming your inaction because of a natural phenomenon?”

Maddox slammed his hand on the table. Kylo raised his eyebrows but, of course, behind the mask none of them could catch his surprise at that reaction.

“There is nothing natural about it. I have been receiving reports from neighbouring systems; they are all having these glitches. It's intentional, not natural. Supreme Leader, it could be a rebel weap…”

Maddox started coughing, uncontrollably. Kylo winced – he sounded like someone was choking him but it wasn't out of his own effort. He was actually interested in that report. The man was having a fit that was all. But, being as it was, all of them turned with that look of fear. The same look he had seen countless times on his uncle, father, mother and…Rey.

Hux eyed him, but the General ceased coughing in that same moment. He took a few breaths and then calmed himself down.

“Excuse me; I had a fit of some sort.”

“General Maddox, perhaps it is better if you are observed by our medical crew. It may be that time in those desert outer systems might be taking its toll to your health,” Hux remarked.

Maddox was about to protest, but two stormtroopers emerged from the back wall at Hux’s signal, ready to escort the General out. Maddox looked at Hux and pursed his lips, suppressing another cough. He stood up, tugging at the bottom hem of his jacket, straightening himself. He was a proud man, but he was  military first and foremost. Hux was his superior. He would obey, without question.

“General Maddox.” Kylo felt the need to interrupt that exchange. “I would like to have a detailed report on these disturbances. We must not let any potential threat to our operations go unnoticed. Even if it appears to be a natural phenomenon.”

Out of nowhere he had a fleeting flash of a memory. That Dark wave rising. The emptiness he had felt, to watch Rey consumed before his eyes.

“Of course Supreme Leader, I will send it right away.”

Kylo nodded and the General left the room, with the troopers right behind him. Kylo looked to the remaining assembly and contained a sigh of exasperation that would be audible through the vocoder.

They started the meeting reviewing the status of the ongoing repairs to the fleet, taking into account the damages received while orbiting Crait. There was  substantial, but recoverable, damage. A large segment of the fleet was already operational and scouring the Galaxy for Rebel outposts, making sure that they could not get a foothold in Resistance-friendly systems. That was the context for General Maddox’s report. But, of course, there were many systems, and there was only so much they could do.

The New Republic was still functional, its remnants rallied on Naboo. But the word was out: the Hosnian System had been destroyed. And despite the destruction of Starkiller base, the Resistance had been defeated and only a handful of its members remained, while the First Order still had resources and the knowledge on Starkiller technology. It was a matter of time until those pasty, dull-eyed Generals sat at the forefront of Galactic command.

“The Cantonica system has reported record profits for this quarter, and the taxes that we have collected were channelled to the war effort fund.”

Kylo snorted. Yes, taxes collected but they were being used to acquire more weapons. He raised a hand and the General stopped talking.

“General, I was under the impression that reparations to our fleet were complete."

“Almost complete, yes, Supreme Leader.”

“Why then are we acquiring more weapons?”

General Preibus seemed disconcerted, looking at Kylo and then at Hux, for support in answering which he gladly provided.

“Supreme Leader, despite our strength we still have pockets of resistance all over the Galaxy. The New Republic still has supporters, important ones. We cannot allow them to hold together, we must terminate--”

“And your solution is to post a fleet to every system?”

Hux turned red at the snarky comment and for a moment Kylo could swear he could feel Hux’s fury materializing in front of him, ready to attack. His muscles tensed automatically,and then the moment passed. Kylo continued.

“It seems to me that now is the time for reparations. To make peace with those that were once our enemies and show how the First Order is the answer they need.”

Hux squinted at him, hoping to ascertain what he was trying to imply with that approach. The Generals all looked at one another. One or two nodded in agreement; they too were sick of war and wanted peace, although for different reasons.

“Until all the repairs to the current fleet are made, the Fund will be channelled to that effort. I will decide the next course of action once that phase is complete. Dismissed.”

As the Generals left, one by one, Kylo approached the window and stared into space, gazing the stars and the countless worlds beyond.

Already they were receiving requests for audiences. Partieds asking for financial assistance, exclusivity to trade routes, licenses for mining and production – the normal requests that came with being in power. He had to respond, right? He had to. That was what a leader was supposed to do. At least, that's what his mother did.

When it came to leadership, it seemed that Leia's approach made sense. To gain traction, you needed to provide in some way. With rewards, others will be grateful, compliant. But he would not hesitate to stomp those who resisted, who scattered from the path of righteousness. For those he would reserve a particularly heavy penalty. That would be the difference from his mother.

Would Vader have been like that, if he had chosen a different path? If he had not served the Emperor, if he had been given a chance? Kylo shivered thinking of his grandfather. It turned out that Snoke had been wrong: he was Vader's grandchild. Like his grandfather, he had also killed his Master.

And he saw, in his mind's eye, the light of the blue sabre penetrating fabric, flesh and bone. How the weapon travelled effortlessly into Rey’s hand. The way she looked at him, in awe, bright-eyed and so ferociously beautiful. But then the image twisted and shifted, the desert spreading before him. He saw the people warping in the heat: an old man laughing, the child running towards the speeder, a man descending.   

A pain struck his heart and he gasped, his hand reaching for the glass window, chest heaving. He turned his head and saw Hux in the back of the room, clearly altered, face red with fury.

 _No…how? T_ he thought crossed Kylo’s mind but it was impossible. The pain receded then, slowly. Could have it been physical? The toll of sleepless nights and dreaded dreams, ending in blackness and vacuum.

Hux approached him, hesitantly, hands behind his back. His voice was strained, like it was being forcefully pushed out of him.

“Supreme Leader, are you alright? Should I call someone?”

Kylo got up, dismissing the pain as it eased. “No, I’m fine.”

“Of course, Supreme Leader.”

Kylo noticed how the words were drenched in loathing, much more than was customary for Hux. No doubt because of what had transpired during the meeting, the offer of reparations. Hux believed the most effective way to power was destruction. Level the opposition and its affiliates to the ground and then rebuild with people sympathetic to the cause. Compliant. Malleable. Snoke’s way.

That would not be Kylo Ren’s way.

“You are dismissed, General.”

Hux nodded and left the room.

When the doors shut, Kylo immediately gripped his chest and massaged that nagging spot right over his heart. He hissed, the place tender, like a knot twisting and squeezing. He would not show weakness in front of Hux. He was almost certain the General was just waiting for an opportunity to drive him away from command. Even something as feeble as a physical condition would be enough, he suspected.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He gasped, turning around as Rey emerged from a dark corner of the room. He was not expecting to see her so soon. He held his breath, waiting. One second, two seconds. She was still there and he finally exhaled.

Her hair was down, that was the first thing he noticed. She looked better, at least. He turned to the window and closed his eyes. Why did she trouble him so? And why did the pain lessen when she was there?

She had just finished preparing the Falcon for another run at the smuggler’s route, scanning for Leia’s allies, rallying troops, trying to find a foothold on some planet in the Outer System. So far it had been no easy task, with the First Order’s probes and shuttles scanning every quadrant. Each day passed there were more of them, reaching farther through the Galaxy.

Her mind was wandering in and out of focus, leading her into the desert again, emerging among the fleeting shadows. She walked among them, wisps of people disappearing when touched. How strange they look and how familiar at the same time. Some fighting, others dancing, a group seating at a table. Someone crying on the floor. A woman – her? – chasing some sort of orange animal.

Looking ahead, she saw someone getting off a speeder and walking towards her. It was a tall man, dressed in desert clothes. He had goggles and was covered in sand. Her heart leapt.

Suddenly, she felt a pain in her chest, a tugging. All sounds muffled and she braced herself to see him. The first breath was a joyous one, but then her heart would fall in line with reality. “He just wanted to use you, for power and control, remember that." She hoped that, by repeating that mantra, she would eventually deny that pull her soul felt.

Rey slowly stepped forward, sensing no immediate recoil of the connection, as she was used to by now. He was still there, shoulders straight and hands clasped behind his back. Tall and solid. To her, he felt like an unsurpassable mountain. She came to stand beside him and turned to look at his face.

“I felt pain.”

He lowered his eyes, avoiding her questioning gaze. “It was nothing. I am just tired.”

She stood there, quiet, waiting for the connection to break, for the Force to finally leave them be. But it didn’t. The silence became awkward, particularly because she did not know what he was staring at. For her, it was just the wall of her room.

“Are you going to tell me what happened? You don’t have to suffer alone.”

He kept silent as he turned to look at her again. He could not resist to observe her reaction at his words. “You rejected the opportunity to know when you left me in that throne room,” he answered.

She frowned slightly, a fleeting shadow of compassion flashing across her face. But then her mouth hardened. “It was the wrong kind of offer and you know it," she replied, in a clipped tone.

He pursed his lips. “Aren’t you tired of running? I am tired of pursuing.” He was trying to sound casual, hiding a hint of disappointment.

“You can stop this, not me.” Rey responded, no hint of amusement in her voice.

It was Kylo’s turn to snort. “Tell it to your Senators in that Republic of yours.”

“They are trying to defend their homes from the First Order. That is all.”

Kylo’s hands clenched into fists, no longer casual, no longer amused. He closed the small distance between them, dangerously hunched, his body’s response to the fury simmering underneath.

“Oh, is it? Are you so certain, scavenger, like you were about my uncle? About my father?”

Rey trembled, feeling his breath over her face, his eyes burning her through. And then his gaze trailed down her face and came to rest on her lips. His left eye twitched and his lips parted, as did hers. She tensed, the pull in her chest, that weight, dragging her forward, sensing his hands slowly moving towards her arms. She remembered the touch of his hand on hers, the jolt of the Force, connecting them. And then Luke’s eyes, filled with disappointment and grief.

Kylo, sensing her turmoil, turned back to his initial stance. The pain fluttered through his heart as he felt the bond receding, until she was gone.

 

\-------

 

Hux looked at the blood dripping from his knuckles and for a moment marvelled at the fact that it did not hurt.

“Kylo Ren murdered Supreme Leader Snoke.”

He repeated the phrase as he recalled, as perfectly as he had seen in the conference room, how the lightsaber ignited, murdering his leader in the very seat where a traitor now sat. How that scum of a scavenger survived and battled the Praetorians. How Kylo Ren – the chosen one, the legacy of Vader! – fought by her side.

“Traitor!” He screamed at the broken mirror, smashing it again with his fist and twisting, while gnashing his teeth. The mirror collapsed on itself as Hux removed his hand. He squeezed his fist, seeing how the shards responded to his fury, mimicking that same motion, crackling and grinding. He imagined doing the same to the Supreme Leader’s bones and the imagery alone made him feel his eyes water, anger laced with the pride of his accomplishment, as he saw the shards turning to dust and then falling to the floor.

He washed his hands and hailed the med bot from its niche to tend the wounds. He was seething, unable to keep still. The cool and composed Hux was not there; he couldn't be. A million thoughts were flashing before him, all of them ending with the same result: Kylo Ren in a pool of blood, Hux laughing over his dead body.

Just as the Masters had shown him, he thought. Suddenly, he felt a voice whispering into his mind.

_“Yes. Use the Dark to your advantage, as we use it to ours. Take your time. Make him suffer.”_

While he sat, looking at how the spidery pliers worked they're magic over his skin, he mused over how he could make Kylo suffer.

“You make him suffer by hurting those he cares about,” Hux explains aloud to the empty room. “His mother. The scavenger.”

 _“Yes. Now you understand,"_ the voice whispered into his soul.

 

\---------

 

Leia rested by the window of the shuttle, the familiar hum and flashes of hyperspace resonating through the entire ship, making her head heavy. She was so, so tired. Too many nightmares these days: falling, always falling. The last weeks had taken their toll on her already frail health. She did what she could, but the space sickness from the aftermath on the Raddus had left its mark, no matter how strong she was with the Force.

She willed herself to stay awake and alert. She read through the reports once more. It had not been easy to raise defences and allies after Crait. Even after its destruction, Starkiller still continued to inflict terror, all the way to the Outer Rim. The First Order had suffered a blow, yes, but the fact remained that they had the power to destroy entire systems. Who was to be sure there wasn’t another Starkiller lurking within the depths of deep space?

And there was definitely something strange going on. The remnants of the New Republic convened in Naboo and reported odd events coming from the Unknown Regions: outposts that suddenly ceased communication, magnetic interferences, whole commercial ships disappearing without so much as a distress signal. These were isolated cases, far apart from each other, but becoming more frequent by the day.

The few allies the Republic had were growing restless, afraid of what this could mean. Could it be another First Order weapon? Leia had her doubts. That was not how Armitage Hux operated. But what about Kylo Ren?

Leia thought of her son, how she felt his hesitation before the TIE Fighters fired on her ship. She felt his conflict, his indecision, and, finally, his longing, which stayed his hand from pushing the trigger. And then the surprise and how his heart had squeezed when seeing the torpedoes fly and hit the ship. But, afterwards, silence. Her hope faded until she saw Luke and heard his words.

_“No one is ever truly gone.”_

She twisted the dice in her hand. They were a constant reminder of those words and she dared to hope, to dream that he was right, that Ben was not gone, that he could be there, trapped inside that cage that was Kylo Ren.

The First Order was still licking its wounds after Amilyn’s maneuver, but they were close to being fully ready. They had positioned outposts by their allies, in the Mid and Outer Rims. It would only be a matter of time until they would move over Naboo and attempt to overcome the Republic. They had to be ready to fight back, with the help of the few that still stood by their side, holding on to those shreds of democracy and freedom. And hope – yet again – that Ben would end that insanity. If not for her sake, then for the girl. Leia smiled that knowing smile and she felt warm for a second.

She had insisted on going alone to Canto Bight, despite the protests raised by Poe and Rey. The place was known for treachery: First Order, Republic, spice merchants, mercenaries, you name it. But she couldn’t afford to let them leave the base; it was too risky. The future was the most important line of defence. At least, they were satisfied with her bringing Lieutenant Connix and BB-8. The droid roamed around the shuttle, communicating with base from time to time, inspecting, making sure everything was according to plan.

Leia hadn’t told them that she felt somewhat ill at ease. It was like a rumble, very low, happening in the background. The encounter with Niza the pirate who would supply her with the tech the Resistance and the Republic needed to mount a coordination of their military protection was a necessity, and she would only meet with Leia, as was customary. The woman was suspicious of everyone and everything and always insisted in trading eye to eye.

“General, we are approaching Cantonica’s orbit," Lieutenant Connix informed her. The young woman looked at Leia and frowned, seeing how tired and worried she was.

Leia nodded. It was time for deception. The ship would be cloaked and they would approach the city from the south, avoiding the main casino and track, making their way to the alleyways behind it, where the booze was cheaper but the stakes were higher. At least, they would be for them.

BB-8 moved to leave with Leia, but she stopped him. “No, BB-8, you’ll raise too much suspicion. I’ll use the morphing band and carry the com. It will be alright. I won’t take long.”

The little droid chirped, visibly worried, but stayed put.

“Be prepared to leave as soon as I return,” she said to Connix.

“General, let me escort you, please!”

“Lieutenant, I have done this dozens of times. Niza is a fickle thing.  She gets too nervous if the room is too crowded. I will return shortly.”

Leia pressed the button of the morphing band and she felt the current going through her body, changing her appearance slightly, enough so that anyone would have to look more than twice to realize that was her. She covered her head with her cloak and left the shuttle, creeping into the alleys of old town. She knew exactly where to go; she had been there with Han several times before.

Well, _before_.

She recalled with fondness those small adventures into Canto Bight. Carefree times, but never dull  – Han was always getting into trouble with his gambling, and she was stuck paying the tab. They always ended up in that tiny bar at the end of that street. It was there she was introduced to his pirate buddies, including Niza. Leia pushed the door open and was immediately hit with the smell of alcohol, vomit and smoke, and greeted by the clink of coins being tossed over tables.  

She saw the pirate’s helper waiting in the back, just as arranged. She walked up to him and showed the Resistance ring, her safe pass. The giant beast nodded and pushed the panel on the wall, through which Leia should enter. She eyed the entrance with suspicion and tried to focus, sensing… nothing. Nothing weird or uncommon, but that rumbling remained.

As she entered, two hands immediately grabbed her, cornering her against the wall. Leia was surprised and immediately tried to shield herself when a hand came up to her mouth, stopping her from shouting.

“Quiet!” someone whispered urgently.

It was Niza. Leia lowered her guard and looked at the pirate. The dim light made her expression look even more frightening. She was sweating and breathing heavily.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to ask for your help, we need to get the transmitters and replicators for the Rep–” She pauses. “You knew I was coming. Why are you saying that?”

Niza looked troubled. She paced around the small cubicle, stopping to hear for commotion outside. Leia was getting increasingly worried.

“Niza, what is going on? You have to stop with this paranoia. It’s gone far enough this time.”

“I thought the message would reach your ship,” Niza explains. “There was something strange, something interfering with the transmission, jamming our controls. I thought the message went through, I swear it did! And then… and then I saw.”

The pirate’s eyes were glassy, like a doll. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she moved away from Leia, seeing something beyond the walls and the city of Canto Bight. She looked up, to the ceiling and her face was pure terror.

“I saw that thing! It came out of nowhere. A shadow  – A monster!” She shudders. “It consumed two of our ships, right in front of my eyes. I could hear them screaming through the comm. They were...”

Her words trailed off as she came back to herself. She seemed to remember that there was someone else in the room and blinked, straightening herself. Niza snorted and a tear rolled down her weathered face. She looked very old in that moment, despite being ten years Leia’s junior.

“I lost your equipment,” Niza explained, wiping her tears. “Those ships were carrying it.”

Leia closed her eyes, slumping her shoulders. It was all in vain, then.

“Listen,” Niza warned, coming closer to her side. “I will help you, Leia, I swear. I made a promise to Han that I would never deny you help. But you need to know that General Hux is in Canto Bight. We intercepted First Order communications before that thing appeared. That was what I was trying to warn you about. He knows you are here.”

How could he know? As the General that she was, she started to review all the procedures and safety protocols in her head. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary. She could not conceive that there might be spies among their group.

“You deal with that later,” Niza said, guessing her thoughts. “Right now, you need to leave! I’ll deliver the tech safely once I am able to restore what was lost.”

Leia nodded, reaching for her hood and placing it safely over her head. She looked at the morphing band, checking to make sure there was still enough power to reach the shuttle. Both women reached for each other’s hands at the same time, making Niza smile.

“I’m sorry that we had to meet again like this. I’m sorry for what happened to Han.”

“Thank you. May his sacrifice not be in vain.”

Niza nodded, understanding, but with a sense of urgency in her eyes.

“My crew will raise some commotion near the tracks. A diversion.”

“Thank you, dear friend,” Leia said. “May the Force be with you!”

Niza looked long and hard at Leia, squeezing her hands.

“With that thing out there? We need all the Force we can get.”

She tapped the panel and disappeared through the entrance, issuing orders to the sentinel at the door. Leia pulled her hood a little further over her head and moved to the door, peeking at the street. Some of the Canto Bight police were on the corner, but that was normal in this part of town. Carefully, Leia went out the door.

She had only just turned around the corner when she heard a loud explosion behind her. She ducked, as did everyone around her. People screamed and ran. Three stormtroopers appeared in front of her, but did not stop, instead running in the direction of the sound. Leia sighed in relief and hailed the shuttle while navigating closer to the wall.

“Keep walking Leia, just keep walking,” she mumbled to herself as she reached for her ear and pressed the com. “BB-8, Connix, are you there? Warm up the shuttle; we need to leave as soon as possible.”

“What’s going on?” There was fear in Connix’s voice. “We heard an explosion.”

“It’s a diversion, we need to flee. The First Order is here.”

Another explosion, this time closer. She yelped as the blast knocked her to the ground. “Damn it, Niza! Did it have to be this close?”

Leia pushed herself up and continued on the path that lead to the shuttle. The masses of people were panicking. There were speeders passing by, toppling members of the crowd. Some shots were fired. Leia looked into an alley that would cross over to the parallel street. It would take longer to get to the ship, but it seemed safer than to go through all the commotion. She went into the entrance to the narrow street, the sound of the mob receding behind her. Once away from the crowd, she focused on the lamp at the end of the alley, forcing herself to continue.

“Almost there, almost there.”

The light of the lamp started to flicker and tremble. Leia stopped and looked behind her. Nothing. She could see people still running on the street. She looked to the lamp. The light dimmed, the flame flickering low until it went out completely. Leia took another step, eyeing the next dying lamplight from the next street, but then she stopped. There it was  – the rumbling. It resonated through her body, reaching her ears and there it stayed, pressuring, becoming more intense at each passing second. A Force user, it had to be. And it wasn’t friendly.

Leia clenched her teeth and supported herself against the wall. Still she continued walking, feeling that pressure mounting, squeezing her chest, making her legs almost too heavy to move. She did not turn back, but in that moment, she makes a choice.

“Connix, get out of here! Get out!”

“I am coming, Leia, where are you?”

“Listen to me,” Leia hissed. “Grab BB-8 and leave, that’s an order! Tell Dameron that Niza will send word for the tech,” she huffed. The weight became too much, making her knees buckle and give out, dropping her to the ground. “Tell him that there is something out there, something bad, an entity of some sort! It may be using the Force”

Leia knew now that she was not alone; someone was there, in the alley, she felt it. At last, she heard his footsteps striding up behind her.

“Connix! Tell Rey… Tell Rey never to give up on him!” Leia heard Connix shouting over the com as the pressure started to interfere with the connection, until finally, the com broke with a crunch and Leia collapsed fully onto the gritty pavement of the alley.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a pair of perfectly polished black boots stepping up beside her. She glanced up, eyeing the red-haired man with a combination of disgust and curiosity. Armitage Hux’s smile was cold and ruthless, and Leia could see dark tendrils seeping out of him, descending over his body. Darkness. But how? It was impossible.

“Princess Leia.”

Leia’s mind flooded with the pain of a hundred voices crying out and then none. From her people on Alderaan, to the horrified cries of Hosnian Prime. She could single out each and every one, and the pain made her cringe, reaching for her chest. Hux laughed.

“I know someone who will be very happy to see you.”

Leia’s vision went black.

 

 

**THREE**

Poe Dameron slammed his fist on the table, making Rey and Finn startle.

“There he goes," whispered the former stormtrooper.

Leadership fit Poe like a glove. But there were times when his recklessness would emerge, in a violent manner. Finn bet that if Poe had a droid beside him, he would kick it.

Rey turned to her friend, eyeing him with reproach. “He has been under a lot of stress lately. People and ships disappearing out of thin air? Camps deserted? Give the man a break!”

Finn just shrugged his shoulders. Rey knew that those last few months hadn’t been easy. The destruction inflicted upon the First Order, massive as it was, was being dealt with in a swift manner by its leadership. In a while, there would have been no trace of the damage the Resistance had inflicted. They, on the other hand, were struggling with support from everyone, even the Republic. Some of them were now talking about reaching out to the Crime Syndicates, something that Poe firmly rejected.

Rey frowned. She could not see the likes of Unkar Plutt helping their cause. Their masters were money, pure and simple. Reaching out to Niza was a shot in the dark, but Leia vouched for her, given their common past. But now, that hope too was fading at each word from Connix.

“What do you mean? Lieutenant, talk to me!” Poe was close to yelling at the hologram before him. The image was unstable, breaking at some points of her speech, but the distress in Connix’s voice and her expression felt very real.

“General Organa said that Niza would contact us to provide the tech we need. And then something about an entity coming, that was using the Force somehow. Her last words were to Rey.”

Everyone turned to look at the girl from Jakku, who was keeping quiet in the back. She did not like these command meetings. They were the times when she missed the desert most. She felt out of place, and she was there only because Leia had asked her to be. She was “the Jedi” and the General believed that her presence could raise their spirits and make them believe in something higher than themselves. But now, with Leia’s disappearance and all eyes on her, she just wanted to dig a hole in the ground and disappear.

Poe kept looking at her. “Connix, Rey is here. What did Leia told you to say to her?”

There was some static, but the message came through. “She said – tell Rey never to give up on him.”

Rey knew exactly to whom Leia was referring, and her heart leaped. She knew. All along, she knew about them, about the connection and the bond. Worried that her face might give too much, she blinked and tried to feign puzzlement. Finn narrowed his eyes at her.

Poe asked “Not to give up on who, Connix?”

“She did not say. That was the last time I heard her. General, the First Order was there, they knew we were coming.”

Poe knew exactly what his Lieutenant was implying. That someone informed the First Order, someone close to the High Command – only they knew that Leia was going to be in Canto Bight. His eyes trailed nervously around the room, resting on each person standing around the holoboard. There were about 15 people: seasoned pilots of the Resistance, officers from the fleet that had rushed to meet them once they had escaped from Crait, a diplomat taking refuge when his home planet in the Hosnian System was destroyed by Starkiller and, finally, Rey and Finn.

The hint had been caught by more than just Poe. He could hear the whispers getting stronger, turning rapidly into open discussion and sideway glances. He ended the connection with the shuttle, wishing Connix a safe return, and immediately ordered people to settle down.

“I will not have you fighting and blaming each other. For now, we will continue with General Organa’s established plan. We continue the contacts with the Senate at every 4 hours. We will continue gathering intelligence from our contacts in the Outer and Mid Rim systems. And we will continue the repairs and refurbishments of the remaining ships. Dismissed.”

Rey hurried out of the room and down the hallway, trying to avoid any further questions from Poe.

“Rey, wait up!”

Rey closed her eyes. How was she to hide something from Finn? He was her best friend. She stopped and turned, all the time feeling conflicted. She did not want to hurt him, but she was certain that he would not understand.

“Are you going to tell me who was Leia talking about?”

She pursed her lips and looked down, nervous, not wanting to face her friend’s inquiring eyes. Finn sighed, sensing her hesitation. She was definitely hiding something.

“Rey, you can tell me. I can see that you are not well. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t, Finn. Please, don’t ask.”

“But it can’t be that bad, for Leia to tell you that.”  

Rey looked towards the end of the corridor, wishing for some escape to think things through. Luckily, Rose appeared around the corner, coming straight towards them. She paused, seeing them so close together. Rey noticed the jealousy in her eyes, as the mechanic straightened her shoulders and quicken the pace.

“Rose is coming. Finn, please trust me on this. I will tell you, eventually, but I can’t now. Not when I am not certain of things myself.”

She started in the opposite direction, her strides quick and evolving into a small run. She felt tears welling on her eyes, hating what she was doing to her friend and dreading the moment when he discovered that the person in question was Ben Solo.

Finn looked at his friend, who was literally running away. He could not help but feel part concerned and part betrayed. She asked for his trust, but there she was, creating a chasm between them, growing wider at each of her steps.

“What is going on? What were you talking about?”

Finn turned to Rose and nodded, not hiding his disappointment “I don’t know. Leia sent her a message and I was just trying to make something of it.”

His close friendship with Rey worried her, and seeing him so distressed didn’t make it any easier. Rose reached for his face and kissed him softly, feeling her heart swell with happiness at his response. It hurt her to see his pain and so she tried to change the subject.

“We need to prepare to our mission together. We have to go to Tatooine soon.”

Finn sighed and nodded, grabbing Rose’s hand and walking away from the chasm behind him.

 

\--------

 

Kylo found the emptiness of the throne room just what he needed. He was in the alcove to the left of the throne, where he had ordered his main holoboard to be installed. From there, he could receive all the information he needed. He was poring over the report that Maddox provided and was getting increasingly worried as he scrolled down the holoboard, registering the chain of events.

_Loss of communications, no technical failure known. Unable to deploy command to investigate possible Rebel party in Adumar._

_Temporary malfunction of navigation protocol near Kamino._

_Missing cruiser near Apatros, transporting cortosis for component production of deflecting shields._

The list continued. Ships missing, failures without apparent technical causes, all in various parts of the known Galaxy. These were costing them time and resources. No wonder they had to keep buying weapons and components; the parts were getting lost along the way. This would mess with his plans for a swift resolution of the conflict ahead and subsequent restoration of the order.

However, there were also reports of Rebel allies’ ships disappearing from the radars upon pursuit and Rebel camps found deserted with fires still burning and tech still in place, no sign of anybody remaining. Apparently, whatever it was, it was indifferent to allegiances, which ruled out being a weapon of the Resistance.

Kylo could not help remembering his nightmares and somehow he was becoming convinced that it was all connected. The Force was speaking to him, warning him.

He heard the sound of a sliding door, and didn’t have to raise his eyes to feel the scorn following along with each footstep. Hux was unmistakable in his stride. He walked the length of the corridor and then stopped a few steps away from the holoboard, leaving only silence.

“What is it?” Kylo asked without looking up. Hux remained unresponsive, as if waiting for something. That was unlike him, Kylo thought. He was usually ready to complain about something, demanding action and swift, brutal retribution. Kylo raised his eyes from the reports scattered on the holo table and looked at him. The General had a most diabolical smirk spread across his face and there was something in his stance, something peculiar – unnatural – even for Hux. Kylo straightened, waiting for a response.

“I have news,” Hux replied. “We have captured an official from the High Command of the Resistance.”

Kylo felt a slight tremor and fought to suppress biting his lip. This anxiety had no place in that room. It was a sign of weakness that he did not want to be visible, least of all to Hux. He remembered many times Snoke had chastised him for doing it, until he sported nothing more than an impassive face. He squared his jaw instead.

“Oh?”

Hux chuckled in mockery, a reaction that Kylo thought weird and inappropriate, given the circumstances. Hux should be gloating and raising his chest, displaying how proud he was of his achievement.

The pride that Kylo expected came in the next moment, with Hux’s statement. “It’s your mother.”

Kylo froze, unable to process what Hux was saying. It was as if the world slowed down, the noise faded into the background, except for his heartbeat pounding in his ears, his chest heaving in and out in short breaths.

She was there, Rey, across the room behind Hux. She turned and looked at him, surprised first at his appearance and, a mere moment after, noticing that something was wrong. She was about to start speaking, but Kylo anticipated her reaction.

“What do you mean my mother is captured?” he said, talking directly to Hux and making sure that Rey saw his stance and heard him clearly. He saw her stop, realization spreading across her face as she noticed that he was not speaking to her, but to someone else in the room. Kylo felt the need to raise his voice, an undisclosed warning for her not to approach.

“How did this happen?” he said with a loud, clipped tone.

His left eye began to twitch and the first coherent thought that came to his mind was how badly he wanted to smash that red-haired head against the wall, to wipe that smile away. And then Hux began laughing.

“Really? Is that what you want to do to me? And here I thought we had an understanding.”

Kylo’s head snapped an inch and he glared, his hands dropping to his sides in complete shock. Hux could read his thoughts? _How? How was that possible?_ And then, he could see it in sequence, the meetings, the timed reactions, the parallels between his thoughts and his actions, even the tightness in his chest. That could only mean that, _he knew_.

“Oh, yes,” Hux fills in. “I know. I know about what you and your scavenger whore did. I know the feelings you so carefully try to hide whenever you think of her and of your mother – just now, you did it again. Yes, Supreme Leader – I know.”

Hux started laughing out loud, a savage laughter. Kylo shivered. He recognized that laugh all too well. He had heard it a thousand times before, in that very room, coming from  someone who wasn’t alive anymore. He saw Rey taking a few steps and shouting his name before disappearing upon his wilful break of the connection. He immediately reached his hand for Hux’s neck, projecting the Force upon him.

Hux stopped laughing and turned red, clawing at his neck, gasping for air. He dropped to his knees and squirmed on the floor. Kylo forced his grip even further, imagining Hux’s tongue rolling out, limp, his face purple, eyes glassy, lifeless. Kylo took a few steps towards the crumpled figure on the floor.

“You will tell me where my mother is!” he hissed, squeezing a bit further.

Hux stopped gasping and wheezing completely, his shoulders shaking. He raised his head and looked straight at Kylo, burning him through with a merciless, venomous look. Kylo felt him fighting back. He could feel the Dark flowing through Hux, who was laughing again. Kylo focused, to no avail – he simply could not affect him anymore.

“You miserable scum!” Hux growls. “No more being your rag doll. You cannot hurt me anymore, now that I am one with Darkness!”

He raised his hand and Kylo jerked, surprised, feeling his grip settle across his neck, raising him in one easy motion. Kylo scrunched his nose and clenched his teeth in effort, trying to break loose of Hux’s grip. With one of his hands, he reached for his lightsaber and ignited it, causing Hux to flinch in reaction and lose his concentration.

Kylo dropped to the floor and without hesitation launched himself towards the General, raising his weapon. Hux pivoted and, reaching for his side, raised his own lightsaber with a horrible dark zapping sound, as dark as its color.

The sabers clashed in an electric explosion of sound, causing the hilts to vibrate in such fury that for an instant Kylo thought he might lose his grip on the weapon. Hux tried to push him back, but no chance: Kylo had the body advantage, being far more muscular than his opponent.

Hux smiled and dropped his saber, immediately lunging to grab it again as it fell, causing Kylo to miss a step as he realized he was mimicking Rey’s movement with the Praetorian Guard. Hux had accessed Kylo’s inner thoughts and memories, without him knowing anything about it.

Kylo jumped up instinctively, avoiding Hux’s strike by mere inches but still able to turn his fist, gripping the hilt and inverting the direction of the saber to strike low. He was successful, inflicting a gash on Hux’s shoulder. He snarled and rolled across the floor before getting up again.

“You will pay for this, Ren!”

Kylo raised his saber.

“You know how this will end. I’m still the better fighter.” Kylo had been caught off guard, but he wasn’t going to be messed around, Darkness or no Darkness. He would get to the bottom of this insanity.

“I am sure you are.” Hux raised his holo and tapped on its surface. A blue image materialized in front of him, and he winced, his injured arm shaking. It was Leia, cuffed and on her knees, a stormtrooper by her side, holding a vibro-axe.

“Yes, General Hux?”

“On my command, execute the prisoner.”

Upon hearing the order, Kylo was awash in a rush of adrenaline, his heart wanting to burst out of his chest, mind fluttering in and out of focus. He saw the shape of a figure materializing by the throne steps. It was Rey, looking at him, desperation on her face, not knowing what was going on.

“Ben, what is happening, why are you pushing me away?”

No, he could not let Hux sense her; he could not risk him knowing about the connection. He mustered his strength, blocking his thoughts the way he had done with Snoke, forcing the connection to terminate. His heart sank, as her anguished eyes disappeared, once more.

“No–NO!” Kylo roared, his heart cracking between the eyes that disappeared before him and the woman lying on her knees. He was panting like an animal trapped, clenching and baring his teeth, nostrils flared “Hux, you piece of–”

“Careful now, Supreme Leader. I wouldn’t want you to speak that way, not in front of your mother.”

Kylo heard footsteps approaching from behind and dared to give a look over his shoulder. Sure enough, familiar red-armoured figures aligned in perfect unison around Hux. The General had reinstated the Praetorian guard without Kylo’s knowledge and, no doubt, they now followed orders from him.

“So, how is it going to be, Ren?”

Kylo lowered his eyes and his weapon, disengaging it. He felt crushed by despair and defeat and from nowhere he felt a blow to his head, sending him reeling to the floor in pain. From above that hideous laughter returned to torment him again.

“Bring her to me,” Hux ordered the stormtrooper as he approached the crumpling figure of the former Supreme Leader and spat on him.

 

\-------

 

“Ben! Ben!” A familiar voice was calling him.

Kylo regained conscience with a jolt, already tense and looking for his saber. His hand only grasped air; no weapon came to him. He looked to his left and to his right, disoriented. They had moved him to one of the bridges of the Supremacy that faced into an all glass room, directly into the empty space. The only exit was guarded by three Praetorians who, given their Force blocking abilities, would be difficult to overcome on his own.

“Ben!”

A feather of a hand fluttered over his shoulder. He felt the slightest pressure and instant relief traveling from those fingers, over his neck, his head, making everything clearer. He turned and faced the loving, weary eyes of his mother. She frowned a bit, taking in the shape of his face, which she had not seen since he was a teen, when he’d gone off to train with his uncle, Luke.

“Mmm, that scar looks nasty. That gash as well. Feeling better?”

Kylo felt confused, as if he were back on Naboo after having fought with the boys at school. His mother fussing over him, tending his bruises. And him, fuming over the taunting he had been subjected to. He raised his arm, as if to politely telling her to remove her hand. Leia pursed her lips, but relented, clasping her hands on her lap.

Kylo stood and walked towards the window, observing the guards out of the corner of his eye. He looked around the room: there was nothing he could use as a weapon. _“Very well,”_ he thought. He sat, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his lap. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, closing his eyes, focusing, reaching across the stars, searching.

Leia could feel his effort in focusing and directing the Force. He was trying to contact someone, but she would not dare to intrude. She was lost in admiration of that creature, sitting on the floor, so pensive. For a moment, it was Ben sitting in front of her. It wasn’t a killer. It was her boy, her little starfighter.

 _How big, and strong and beautiful he looks!_ She thought, letting her softer and maternal feelings bubble to the surface. She was too tired and too old to try to hide now.

Kylo opened his eyes and there was a whisper of a sly smile of victory on his lips. He got up and approached his mother.

“Be prepared. We will be moving soon.”

Leia smiled and reached for his arm. He tensed but did not move, which she took as a sign of encouragement. What she was about to say was difficult to admit, even to herself.

“I think we both know that I won’t be leaving with you.”

“You will if you want to live" her son replied.

Leia faced the large window, overlooking the dark, empty space. She shivered, remembering her nightmares, “ _always falling_ ” she thought. And then the pain, the sickness, always present and consuming her little by little.

“Please!” Leia says. “Let's just agree that my time for skimpy clothes and killing Hutts has come and gone.”

Kylo pursed his lips, biting the inside of his cheek.

Leia smiled. He always did that, since he was a little boy. Han would scold him for that, every time he decided to teach him Sabacc. It was evident that he didn't know how to bluff, at least until he used it to trick his uncle Lando. How she laughed! Leia chuckled at the memory.

“You find this situation amusing?" he asked, annoyed. His parents had always done that - laugh and make jokes of his insecurities. It always felt like they were mocking him and that made him angry.

“Don't you? It takes this for us to finally exchange a few words since… Well. You know," she answered, averting looking at his face so that her hurt would not be shown.

He felt the jab instantly, and his answer was quick and charged with resentment. “Yes, I know. The time you decided it was better to push the problem away to somebody else rather than dealing with it.”

Those words struck deep. She had made her peace with the actions that had led her and Han to decide that Ben could find some purpose and direction being taught in the Jedi way. As a boy she’d been frightened by his reactions – every tantrum, every spit of fury ended with a demonstration of how he could command the Force. Too often something would get broken, destroyed or hurt. She still remembered tending to Han’s injuries when trying to control him.

“Well, you certainly showed us didn’t you? Your father, in particular. And look where it got you.”

“I didn’t hate Han Solo.”

Leia couldn’t help herself. She slapped him. Kylo did not move an inch; he just kept looking at her. She tried to have an even tone, but failed miserably. “He was your father! He wasn’t some stranger."

Leia could see his nostrils flaring up and his lips set in a thin line. She closed her eyes and sighed, shaking a little. Kylo winced seeing her so frail, feeling the Force flowing through her in a haze of soft yellow tones.

“Let me guess: Snoke told you we were afraid, that we did not understand. Yes, we were afraid that we might lose you. Yes, we didn’t understand, because you shut us out.”

Kylo turned to the window, unable to face her. It made him remember feelings that he had buried deep within. Remorse. Regret.

“Did he tell you that we made you weak? Did he tell you that we didn’t love you? I bet he did, liar and conniving thing that he was.”

Her voice was stretched thin, and as she spoke she approached her son until they were a breath apart. Kylo could smell her perfume, so familiar and comforting, remembering the refuge of her lap and her embrace every time he had a nightmare or a fight with another kid.

“He lied to you, Ben. And, stupid as I was, I was unable to see it. My heart broke in anguish for not understanding what was happening. And now I am old and it’s too late to fix things.”

Kylo blinked, feeling the prick of tears and focusing to suppress it. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him like this.

“But Rey can fix things. I leave that to her,” she concluded.

His head snapped up and he turned to look at her, a sudden rush of blood to his face all the way to his ears. Her gaze was set and strong, knowing. Of course she knew. There was no need for Rey to tell her, Luke had told her even without uttering a single word.

The moment was interrupted by the door opening and Hux entering the room, surrounded by all five Praetorians. Kylo took two steps and shielded his mother.

“A lovely family reunion!” Hux sneered.

Kylo looked at the Praetorians and then at Hux. He had to buy time somehow. He took two steps in their direction and knelt in front of him.

“Supreme Leader.”

Hux was flabbergasted as well as Leia. She made an audible gasp and Hux looked at her. He smiled.

“So nice to see things as they should be, right, General Organa? You Skywalkers should be groveling at my feet, pathetic, weak and compassionate things.” Leia saw Kylo’s shoulders shake and she registered the mark of contained fury of her son. He was faking it, he was trying for something. She looked at Hux and decided to distract him.

“Cowards are we? You also killed your father, correct? Because you wanted his post? How brave and courageous of you!”

Hux squared his jaw and raised his head in defiance. How could a woman so frail and miniscule command such gravitas and power in her speech? He could understand how the Resistance had been deceived by Skywalkers for such a long time.

“That is why you are over there and I am over here, with your son groveling for his life at my feet.”

Without warning, Hux reached for his saber, that Kylo had already positioned, floating, by his opponent’s side, ready to ignite. He took it with a snarl and activated it, pointing the black, glowing blade directly at Leia's neck.

“Ah, Ren. That scavenger is right, you really are a snake. You think you could fool us twice with the same trick?”

Kylo got up in a fluid motion and reached for one of the Praetorians’ melee weapons, Force-pulling it across the room into his hands. He then pushed it forward towards Hux who automatically deflected it with the saber, having taken it back from where it was threatening Leia. The weapons clashed as the Praetorians moved forward, ready to intervene.

But their intervention proved unnecessary, as the whole room shook, as if they were under attack. Kylo was confused, could it be the help he was waiting for? His mother took a step back as she sensed something approaching.

“Now you will all be witnesses to what true power is," Hux snarled, satisfied with himself.

Kylo felt tightness in his chest and was compelled to drop the weapon. One guard moved to Leia’s side, hovering, while the other guards moved to surround her son, grabbing his arms and stretching them, as a man coming into a scaffold to face execution.

Hux moved closer, enjoying his victory and his revenge. It was as sweet as he had expected, arousing even. He was excited at the prospect of crushing a man's soul, much more than the physical damage. Hux moved even closer, as the room’s humming and vibrating intensified.

“Look at you, Kylo Ren, still think yourself a new Vader, do you?”

In one swift motion, Hux raised his saber and cut off Kylo’s right hand above his wrist, mimicking the wound that had crippled his uncle and grandfather. Kylo cried out in pain as his mother, dodging the praetorian, rushed to his side, calling his name.

“Yes, Ben Solo is your true name,” Hux said, stepping forward to look down his nose at Kylo. “Not Vader. It never was. It never will be.”

Kylo was panting, his mind racing. He could see lights flashing before his eyes and only could register a few scattered voices. He grunted and hissed, trying to bring his mind back to some form of control.

His mother was beside him, her hands reaching for his temples. A cool, soothing, liquid easiness invaded him and he calmed, the pain subsiding. He opened his eyes, breathing still ragged, and looked at his mother. In her eyes he saw that she was ready to sacrifice everything for him, even her own life if needed be. He hissed and shook his head.

“No, don't do this.”

“Quiet, Ben. You are my son, no matter what.”

Even after all that he had done, all he had inflicted upon her, upon the Resistance, still she believed in him. That he was worth saving.

A high pitched noise made them both look back and they witnessed, horrified, the stars disappearing into the black and a shapeless being materializing in front of them, covering the width of the glass window. Hux faced the darkness and knelt. “Masters,” Hux whispered, reverent. “I have done your bidding.”

The shape took no form, but it was sucking all the life out of the room. The Darkness seeped and twisted in it, vibrating and pulsating, ready to be released. Leia felt its fixation upon her and knew what it wanted. She turned to Kylo and placed something in his hand.

“You have to survive,” she whispered. “You have to. You and Rey are our only hopes.”

He knew what those words meant. He looked at his hand and saw his father’s dice, shining and golden. He frowned and tried to move, fighting the pain and the strength of the thing in front of them, fighting to try to stop her.

“Don’t–" he started.

The Praetorians surrounded her and pushed her up and forward, towards Hux, and in front of that bottomless pit. And there before him, Kylo saw his nightmare, that black wave rising, consuming everything in its path.

“MOTHER!” He roared, voice hoarse with pain and anger.

Everything stilled, all sounds muffled. Despite his attempts to keep her out of harm's way, the pain was too much. He needed her there, to ease the pain like she had done in the past. To make the pain go away. He felt Rey beside him, crouching down, calling his name, just as his mother turned to look at them, and he could swear, for a moment, that she could see both of them.

Leia mouthed the words, “I love you."

Dark tendrils enveloped her in a deadly embrace and she faded into that darkness that vibrated in exhilaration, expanding.

“Yes!” Hux cried out, exalted and focused on his victory. “It is as you have foreseen. The Light gives you power!”

The shape pulsated and grew, occupying the height and width of the room. In it, voices and shapes stirred, of the Dark Lords relishing in the Light that was provided, feeling their powers grow. Kylo turned to Rey, desperate for help, but she could not see the thing in front of him. She stayed close, knowing that something very wrong was happening.

“Ben, tell me where you are! Please! Tell me!”

Kylo looked at her, trying to hide his severed limb. He did not want her pity, yet her eyes burned with worry and fear, but not of him. For him. He could feel her warmth, through their connection and his heart felt peace for a brief moment, and yearned for her. He was always more with her, together. But she had turned him down. And now, there was only misery.. He whispered, in a broken, defeated voice.

“My mother is dead. And I couldn’t stop it.”

Kylo waited until he saw realization in Rey’s eyes, and then he mustered all his will to force the connection shut, before Hux could notice. Her anguish lingered once more in the ether between them, he could feel it. Hux turned to Kylo, seeing him crawling on the floor, shaking in exhaustion and whispering between tears and stricken breaths.

“You wanted to be like Vader? I promise you, your arm is just the beginning.” He spoke in a heat of madness, his eyes open and red shot, as he felt and drank from the dark power before them.

Hux signaled the Praetorians, issuing orders.

“Take the prisoner to Mustafar. You know what to do.”

The guards lifted Kylo up, ignoring it when he cried out in pain. His severed hand lay dead on the floor, its wound cauterized. Hux approached him, grabbing Kylo’s hair and pulling his head back to look straight into his eyes.

“On Mustafar you will learn to suffer like your grandfather suffered. Your weapon will be destroyed. And then your transformation will be complete. My only regret is that I will not be there to see it. But I will be recording a holo to watch again, again and again. Perhaps I will even show it across the holonet for everyone to see how the First Order handles traitors.”

Kylo spat in Hux’s face and Hux immediately reached for his neck, choking him. Kylo’s eyes burned him through, the remnants of his strength directed at inflicting the most harm possible, a raw anger that was making him burn.

“Enough!” Hux shouted, tightening his grip until, finally, he felt bones beginning to crack and saw Kylo turning purple and limp, unconscious. He shook his hands, disgusted, and signaled them away. He looked at the severed hand on the ground and kicked it before turning to the misshapen form in front of him, which was now reflecting the room like a liquid mirror.

Smiling, Hux adjusted his hair. “What now, Masters?”

The shadows stirred within the vacuum, hissing their plans, and Hux saw planets disappear within its vortex, millions of voices crying in horror. They were limitless in their desire to consume planets. Soon, entire systems. And then more beyond.

Hux saw a figure detaching from the shadows, approaching him, hooded and cloaked in black. The general bowed before the crumpled figure of Darth Sidious.

“My Emperor, what is thy bidding?”

The voice unheard for so long echoed through the chamber.

“The girl. Bring us the girl. And then our objective will be complete.”

 

\-------

 

Watto eyed the rebel in front of him, asking for parts. She was waving her hand in front of him, thinking herself a Jedi.

“You will give me the power converters.”

Watto sighed. He was getting too old for this.

“What are you doing waving your hands like that? Think yourself a Jedi, is it?”

“I am a Jedi,” the girl replied, her voice trembling a bit, giving her ploy away. Watto smirked and flew over the counter to face her.

“You are no Jedi, rebel. And even if you were, Jedi mind tricks don’t work on me.”

Rose puffed. This trip to Tatooine was getting worse by the minute. First that odd malfunction of the A-Wing causing a forced landing. Then getting into Tosche Station, with Finn complaining about how he hated the sand and the heat. And now she had to try her bluff with the only parts dealer that had to be a Force blocker.

“Damn my life,” she sighed. “How am I getting off this rock? We need to report back to base as soon as possible.”

“Well, I can tell you what I _can_ do,” Watto offered, one foot coming up to scratch behind his ear. “I could give you the power converters for that piece of Haysian metal you carry around your neck.”

Rose reached for the necklace, noticing then that it had come out of its usual place, under her shirt. Already it had been coveted by enough swindlers and dirtbags that she’d had to stop wearing it, or hide it somewhere safe. She quickly hid it once more inside her shirt, just as Finn was entering the shop.

“What are you doing? Did you get what we need?”

“No,” Rose replied. “He isn’t impressed by our Jedi skills, only credits or my necklace.”

Watto looked at Finn and squinted his eyes, scratching his stubby chin.

“Are you a stormtrooper?”

Finn was surprised by the question. He had left that part of him long ago.

“Why do you ask that?”

“Well, you troopers are always the same height, same build, walk the same. Once you have lived enough around them you start to notice these things. I also know that some like to gamble, so… Fancy a bet?”

Finn did have an itch to be scratched ever since he was exposed to the rich life of Canto Bight. He hated what it represented, but the clink of the credits and the roll of the dice definitely had an appeal.

“Finn! You are seriously not considering–”

“Sure.” His attention turned from Rose to Watto. “What’s the game?”

Watto considered for a moment. “Well, we can play–”

He was interrupted by shouting and commotion outside the store.

“Damn pirates, always causing trouble around my shop!”

Rose was out on the street first and immediately looked at the sky. Daylight was fading quickly.

“Finn! Get out here!”

“Don’t tell me it’s a sand storm," he replied with obvious annoyance.

He stepped outside to see men, women and children, beggars, pirates, traders – everyone was outside with them, looking at the sky. Some were screaming and running.

“What now?” he asked, obvious curious about the commotion.

He turned to the direction of Rose’s gaze and saw something. A dark mist was expanding throughout the sky, but it wasn’t a cloud or a storm. Finn felt the hairs on his neck stand – that was never a good sign. He looked at Rose.

“We need those power converters. Now.”

Rose looked at him and then at the people around her. Already some were running away towards the hangars. Women were carrying children in their arms, rushed on by others. She turned to look at Watto.

“You will give us the power converters.”

“Your necklace,” he replied.

“Are you seeing that thing?” She shouts. “That is _not_ good.”

“Oh, it's just a storm! Don’t tell me such a powerful Jedi such as yourself–”

Watto stopped speaking as, suddenly, the mist, already reaching the horizon, started rotating. Columns of black and purple emerged from it, like tentacles of some great beast, punching down over the houses and destroying everything in their path. People were screaming in horror, there was panic spreading. He looked up, and what he saw filled him with dread: a great black hole was forming in the sky, as the ground began to shake in response to its magnetic pull.

“I am coming with you,” Watto said, as if that had even been a choice he’d been offered.

“What? We are tight on space as it is!" Rose replied, without patience, or time, to continue that game. She just knew they had to run and Watto was making it difficult.

“I am coming or no deal,” Watto replied as he watched another house being leveled before his eyes.

Finn appeared, power converters in hand, calling out as he ran past them. Rose hadn’t even noticed he’d left.

“Come on! To the ship! Hurry, you two!”

Rose turned to look at Watto again, but he was already rushing behind Finn, flapping his wings impossibly fast. Rose paused to look at the sky, turning darker by the minute, and those things coming out of it.

_What were they?_

They were attached to the planet, almost as if they were drilling it, ruining everything they touched. After a moment she set off to follow Finn, running as fast as she could.

When Rose got to the A-Wing, Watto was already inside bellowing orders. All around them, she could see crowded ships taking flight, trying to escape impending doom. Finn inserted the power converters, discarding the old ones on the floor, and the ship came back to life. Rose sat at the command and pushed the ignition. Finn sat behind her, trying to get Watto to calm down so they could fit in the only spot they had available.

“Get your snotty smelly nose away from my face," Finn complained.

“Eh, trooper! Remember that you escaped because of me, yes?”

The A-Wing took flight and Rose accelerated towards the last patch of sky she could see, almost hitting a shuttle that was taking off. As she banked the ship, she looked down at the town. Below she saw the people panicking, some begging for help, others holding bags of things they would not be parted from; still others were simply crying and hugging a loved one. Rose felt terrible, she wanted to help, to _do_ something. But the sky was falling above them and she swerved away, aiming for the sky they could still see, and even that was fading quickly. She urged the ship on, as hard as she could, seeing ships following while others were being knocked down by tendrils of the black, viscous thing.

Finally they broke through the exosphere and out from the orbit of Tatooine. Rose turned the ship around.

“What are you doing? Rose! Are you insane?” Finn exclaimed, afraid.

“I need to take a look; I need to see how that thing got here.”

Rose gazed at the planet below. The black fog was already covering half the surface and was growing at an amazing speed. Yet no ship or station was near it.

Without warning, their A-Wing was hit by a magnetic field, throwing them off course. The A-Wing beeped furiously and the dashboard flashed several red lights.

“I did not loan you the power converters for you to crash this bucket!” Watto shouted, bracing himself against the wall.

Finn looked at the blue creature with wings and funny nose with a quizzical look.

“What do you mean _loan_?”

“ _Loan_ , as in you do not own them,” Watto explained, slowly, as if speaking to a child. “They are still mine. But if you want them, you can still play me for them.”

“Shut up!” Rose snarled while pressing the diagnostics and adjusting the coordinates. Finally the ship came steadied as they left the system. Behind them, the planet was being consumed, imploding on itself. Ships were scattered throughout the neighboring systems, others already fleeing the surrounding planets. It was mass panic.

“We have to warn base.” Rose was certain that they were beholding a new weapon of the First Order.

“And then we play, yes?” Watto pressed on, expectant.

Rose just rolled her eyes.

 

\------

 

_Silence. Inhale, exhale._

_Rey opened her eyes. She was back on Jakku, scrubbing away the grime from the component she was about to trade. Plutt was waiting. She blinked a couple of times, wondering if perhaps she might have dreamed the whole thing: Finn, Han, Maz, Starkiller, Kylo_ –

_No. Ben._

_“Don’t worry. It was no dream.”_

_She looked to the figure directly across from her, sitting beside an old woman scrubbing away parts, just like her._

_“Master Skywalker!”_

_Luke sat in front of Rey, looking just as she remembered him on Ach-Too, before she’d left to make an attempt at bringing Ben back. She lowered her eyes, looking at the broken component in her hands, remembering her failure._

_“You haven’t failed,” Luke offers. “Look again.”_

_Her eyes fell back down to the part, and it was whole now. One perfect piece, joined together. Not broken or cracked. She smiled, proud of herself._

_When she looked up again, Luke was no longer there. The other woman kept scrubbing and pointed beyond with her chin, nodding. Rey turned around and saw Luke standing in the desert, those wisps of ghosts spreading as far as the eye could see, facing the black wave that was once again rising in front of them, black tentacles spreading towards them._

_“Master!”_

_Rey ran towards Luke as he stood there, watching, facing that impending doom. She grabbed his arm and pulled it, willing him to run away. But he just stood there, solid. She came around and faced him, shaking his arms._

_“We have to run!”_

_Luke looked at her, and Rey quieted under that knowing gaze. He pointed to the sea of figures: a little girl, playing next to a small speeder. Rey thought she looked familiar: the way she was hunching, the cream colored clothes._

_“Who is she?”_

_“Someone in another time, in another place. Another version, another story. They all are.”_

_A tall figure emerged from the crowd, running towards the child. It was the man with the goggles. Rey stood still as she saw the child jumping up and running towards his embrace. Her heart tightened as he picked her up and twirled around, affectionately._

_“Will they die?” she said, turning to Luke._

_His usual crystal blue eyes were clouded and dark. He nodded, slightly, and then his face changed, noticing something in the horizon._

_She turned again and saw something coming out of the shadows, from the Void. Her fright turned into fury as she saw the figure of Armitage Hux emerging from the dark mass, as loathsome as ever, carrying a black lightsaber. Frightened, she looked at Luke again, as he watched the horizon._

_“There is no escape. It got Leia. And now it is coming for them all. For all of your stories. All it needs is you, Rey.” His voice was calm. But as he looked at her, once more, his eyes filled with a sense of urgency._

_Laser blasters lit the sky above her. She saw the Silencer flying into the blackness. She felt an intense pain shooting up her right arm and she could not avoid crying out, stepping back and hunching. Luke approached her._

_“It needs to be destroyed, before it gets stronger.” It was a statement and also a warning. “You will need him." He looked up, to the Silencer._

_Now there was a larger ship, black and grey, chasing the Silencer and immobilizing it with its tractor beam. Rey saw the ships clashing, and then the vision trembled, shifted, until it finally disappeared._

_“Where are they taking him?” She asked, knowing who was on that ship, hoping that he would be safe._

_“Search your feelings.” He passed by her and ignited his saber as the darkness swallowed every faceless shape before them. Her heart squeezed in agony seeing the child and the man disappearing before her very eyes. The Void kept approaching, raising the ground, destroying the planet in its wake. Luke looked at Rey and smiled._

_“You are our only hope.”_

 

Rey woke gasping for air, with the lingering pain on her arm. She reached for it and flexed her fingers, making sure they were still there. She was dripping with sweat and her heart was racing, ready to jump out of her chest.

She got up and went to the fresher to splash her face with water. She pressed her palms to her face, rubbing her eyes, and then looked at the mirror in front of her.

“Coward,” she said to her reflection.

She kept seeing his face before losing him to the connection. His eyes were anger, pain, sadness all mixed into one. Underneath, she felt longing. He was burning for her to be there, with him, to ease his agony, to make him strong. He severed the connection, but not before she was hit with a pain that almost took her breath away.

She stepped into her room and looked at the wall in front of her, the marks of her saber still visible. She lowered her eyes, ashamed. She had focused, tried again and again to reach him, but in every turn there was a dead end. It was almost as he was surrounded by a Force shield, unable for her to reach.

She got frustrated, and that led to anger. She reached for her lightsaber, brought to life with such effort. She ignited it and her fury danced with the hum of the light, scorching the wall with a perfect symbol of her pain. She was covered in sweat and tears when she finally let herself drop onto the floor, panting. She had punished her body hard enough and long enough to force herself to sleep. But the dream did nothing to achieve the rest she sorely needed.

Rey felt her chest tighten.

She dropped to the floor and closed her eyes. She let her Light seep through her, reaching out through the connection, tapping, looking for the thread that led to him. She was about to quit when she saw it: the red thread, ahead of her, running from her. She took a deep breath and focused, pushing the Force towards it, tugging it and feeling it recoil.

She felt conflict: part of him wanted her to come to him, the other didn’t. It was making her anxious, until finally she projected her strength and held on to that thread, tightly. She emerged in a dark room, feeling the floor vibrating. “Still inside the ship," she thought. Ben was lying down, his clothes ripped apart, and there were bacta patches covering his right arm. His hair was plastered against his face and he was shaking.

Rey drew near. His teeth were ratling, his eyes opening and closing. She saw her hand moving without hesitation and, slowly, rest on his chest. She felt the shock, and fought to suppress the images running in her mind’s eye – of the Falcon and Chewie playing, of Leia and Han smiling, a pair of golden dice dangling in the air.

Suddenly, she felt her own mind pouring into the connection. She saw the man, covered in dust, sunburned, a pair of goggles hanging from his neck. He was walking towards her, her vision becoming clear. The same jet black hair, the same full lips, the set of the mouth, the twitch in the eyes. But, there was an easiness to his step, like he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And he was smiling, all the way to his eyes. There were no scars, no darkness.

But again everything changed. Han was falling and Leia disappearing. Black figures circling him, fighting Praetorians. Rey shivered, remembering her own gruesome fight. As the battle raged, she saw the dark twisted mass of her nightmares, felt his fear, to lose her.

Suddenly, she felt his hand resting on hers. She looked down and he was staring, his eyes as bottomless as the night.

“Now you know.”

She took away her hand and felt him recoil, disappointed. He hissed in pain and shifted his head slightly, trying to fix his eyes to another point of the room, avoiding her. It felt like rejection for a second time.

“Go back, hide," he said, feigning disinterest, trying to make her go on her own accord. The result was the opposite.

“Not until you tell me where you are going. Let me help you.”

He snapped his face in her direction and she felt him shake again, but this time in fury. He tried to raise his head and his face twitched, trying to contain the physical pain.

“Why do you keep doing this? I am not one of your broken parts. I am not something to be fixed." He spat the words in rapid fire, waiting for the torture to end. He felt her eyes trailing down his arm, to the bacta patches covering his severed hand. He understood the irony of the words he had chosen, dropping his head again and allowing a moan to escape his lips.

Rey shuddered looking down at her fingers, remembering her dream, the part in her hands. His words hurt her, more than she wanted to. She cared for him, that was the truth. A truth Leia had seen, even before her admission. “Don’t give up on him,” Rey whispered.

He stopped jittering and turned to look at her, a question in his eyes. Rey raised her head at him, chin set in determination. “Those were Leia’s words – don’t give up on him.”

Ben swallowed, his chest heaving with the sheer pressure of his heartbeat. She could not help but smirk, looking at his face. The image of that dust covered face, of his smile, floated before her. “And she was right: I won’t." She closed her eyes, feeling that all too familiar tug of the Force, breaking the connection.

Back at the station, she felt more alone than ever. In front of her, the symbols of her anger screamed and mocked her. She slid to the floor, pushing her knees tight to her chest, and cried.

 

 

**FOUR**

Rey pushed the commands of the Falcon, listening to the familiar sounds of the engine warming up. Chewie was bellowing, chastising her for what she was about to do.

“I know! I know! I don’t need your sermon as well. I got enough from Poe, thank you," she remarked, clearly annoyed.

Chewbacca stopped talking and grunted, deciding that the best option was to try to calm himself down. Rey was fuming, remembering the commotion, a few hours earlier.

 

_The day started, as always, with a briefing with the high-command. For Poe, Leia was missing, presumably taken by the First Order. The task of negotiation procedures would fall with the Republic since Leia, for all intents and purposes, was still a member of the Senate._

_But even Mon Mothma, old as she was, having been summoned to rally the strength of the Senate and its democratic principles could not persuade them to reach out to the First Order and demand a ransom and terms._

_Leia’s disappearance was another entry in an already long list of concerns, Poe thought. Missing crews, missing ships, missing parts. To Poe, it felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, a feeling which only increased at every meeting with more questions and not one answer. All he wanted was to take his ship and leave, find the next First Order ship and let it rip. That was better than politics and these games of “hide and seek." He sighed, looking over at D’Acy, so organized and intent on her work, and Connix, so young and hopeful. He could not let them down._

_They were going through the agenda, with Chewbacca lounging in a corner when Rey charged in through the door of the meeting room.  Everyone startled, seeing her so breathless and Chewie remembered the look in Rey’s eyes. It scared him._

_“Rey? Has something happened?" Poe said anxiously, sensing something wrong._

_Rey just stood there, face flustered, fists clenched, eyes wet. She was heartbroken; that was plain for anyone to see. She hesitated, not sure of what to say now that she was there, in front of everyone. She was about to shatter their hopes._

_“Leia is dead," she said trying for her voice not to break._

_Everyone held their breath for what seemed like hours. Gradually, as they realized the significance of that information, despair overtook the room. Connix was ashen, obviously upset. She had been the last one to see Leia, and carried the guilt of having failed to get her back to the ship._

_D’Acy frowned not believing what Rey was saying, offering some explanation. “That’s not possible. I mean, there is no information from our sources that could point to that outcome. The most logical course of action would be for them to use Leia as leverage. What would be the point of killing her?”_

_Poe reached out to D’Acy and gently placed his fingers on her arm, to calm her down. He looked at Rey. “Are you sure of this? How do you know?” he asked, despite D’Acy rolling her eyes. He had seen Rey’s influence with the Force as well as Leia’s; he could not ignore that disturbances in the Force could, perhaps, travel quicker than spies._

_Rey lowered her eyes and bit her lower lip, nervous. She raised her head and Poe knew it was serious. Chewie kept silent, looking at Rey and gathering information from her gestures, her body position. It was innate for him, to do those things. It was part of being a hunter, a pirate. Rey felt observed and looked at her friend, who was sitting across the room. She could not help the tears welling up and run free down her face ._

_“The Force...someone told me," she said, her voice already breaking. Poe’s stance was clearly demanding for the complete information, and so he pressed on._

_“Who?”_

_She was about to handle a second blow to the Resistance expectations. They held her in high regard - the last true Jedi, Luke’s apprentice. She would be seen as a traitor. Somehow, she thought of how Leia must had felt, telling the Republic about her father._

_“Ben Solo.”_

_D’Acy gasped, eyes and mouth open in shock. For Connix it was just more than she could bare. Having heard Leia talking so fondly of Rey and then to have this as news. The young officer just started sobbing and ran out the door, not wanting for them to see her breaking down. Chewie got up at the name being spoken and bellowed, agitated. Poe swallowed several times, fighting the urge to throw up, feeling his mouth fill with saliva. He took a deep breath as to reposition himself after a blow and got up slowly, making everyone turn to look at him, expecting him to yell in rage. He just placed his hands over the table and took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy._

_“Rey, explain yourself," he demanded._

_Her confession was as quick as the tears rolling down her face. She told of Snoke bridging their connection and how it lingered, even after his death. How she tried to convince Ben to end the conflict and negotiate, to see the wrong the First Order was causing. How she felt his pain over Leia becoming a prisoner and finally, executed. When she saw him on the ground, hurt and desperate, defeated._

_“Good. He deserves that and more," Poe remarked._

_Rey looked at the pilot, shocked. “How can you say that? He lost his mother, right in front of him. He tried to save her!”_

_“Really? We are talking about Kylo Ren right? Because for a minute I thought we weren’t talking about someone who is leading a vicious, subversive faction that wants to impose a style of command that includes murdering everyone who does not fall in line with them! Kriff Rey, they blew up an entire system!" Poe shouted. Losing Leia felt like defeat. Learning of Rey’s connection to the Supreme Leader felt like betrayal._

_Rey kept looking at Poe with a burning, severe look. How could she begin to reason with someone who had suffered so much at the hands of the First Order for their entire adult life?_

_“And how can you be sure he wasn’t the one to do it?" Poe asked._

_“He wasn’t. You have to trust me," she said, knowing fully well she was asking the impossible._

_“Right, as we trusted you before your_ – _apparently intimate_ – _chats?” Poe paused, wondering if the betrayal he felt was more than just fraternal. He shook his head, driving those thoughts away, and continued. “It didn’t cross your mind that he might be using you to find us? That Leia was caught because of it? That he read your mind to hunt us down?”_

_“He wasn’t deceitful, he was honest with me. He tried to warn me about Leia, he never asked me once about our whereabouts," she continued, her voice strained in agony. D’Acy and Poe’s reproachful and disappointed looks burned her to the core._

_“And why did you not tell me then? And before? To me? To Leia!" Poe shouted._

_The argument was becoming heated. Soon they would be saying things they would later regret. Chewie moved to stay between them, to prevent further damage. His massive build was an immediate relief to the obvious tension, and Rey took the opportunity to take a deep breath._

_“Leia knew. It was her son she was referring to in her message to me.”_

_“Leia would never betray us! Have you no shame?” D’Acy remarked, pointing a finger and spitting the words._

_Chewie felt Poe on the verge of action and placed a hand on his shoulder, bellowing. Rey looked at them, feeling increasingly like a caged animal. But she was certain of her decisions, of her feelings about Ben’s turmoil. She clenched her fists and her voice was menacing._

_“Leia would never betray the Alliance, and neither would I. What do you think would happen if she told you? She had already been an outcast once, she would not go through that again. No. She waited. She was patient.”_

_Poe clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, frowning. He was furious, but he was listening, at least. Chewbacca rumbled in relief. Rey noticed it and felt a trickle of hope._

_“Ben Solo needs our help, not Kylo Ren. He was attacked and he is hurt, badly," she pressed._

_Poe snorted and shook his head, not believing what he was hearing._

_“You are proposing to rescue him? Crazy girl, you will be walking into a trap!”_

_“Luke came to me, he confirmed Ben Solo’s account.”_

_Suddenly, Poe and Chewie became very still. They knew the visit of a Force ghost was nothing to be trifled with and it only happened in crucial circumstances._

_“There is a danger far worse than the First Order. Some sort of entity, made of Darkness, twisted and destructive. It got Leia. It is after me now.” She felt desperate, knowing that she was sentencing herself to be forever a runaway, until she defeated the thing. And even after that. “This is something beyond anything we have ever seen. I put all of you at risk if I stay.”_

_Chewbacca was concerned. He knew Rey was not a person to lie or deceive. Han had a good feeling about her and he was usually right about the people he knew. Good and genuine people always brought the best out of Han Solo and that was probably the same for his son._

_Suddenly, the doors jarred open, and Rose barged in followed closely by Finn._

_“What is this Connix told us? Is it true? Is it?" the mechanic shouted._

_Rose was practically jumping on Rey until Poe decided to grab her. The mechanic was red with anger and ready to punch someone. Finn, on the other hand, was quiet while looking at Rey; more, he was disappointed. Rey lowered her eyes and confirmed it was true. “Leia is gone. Her son tried to stop it and failed. He is hurt.”_

_“You mean the Supreme Leader” Rose said, with disgust. “He does have a tendency to do that.”_

_Rey could not help but to take the jab and try not to lash out. This was going worse than expected. Her eyes were shining with angst, pleading for Finn to forgive her. “I am sorry Finn, but I could not tell you. And this is why” she said, motioning to all of them._

_Finn was going to say something, but paused, deflated. He was hurt and felt betrayed that she did not confide in him. His words would only fuel the already fragile situation. He looked around and everyone was looking at her sideways; they had already judged her. He thought of the time when he himself had kept information from her, of being a stormtrooper, and how she never looked at him in anger or judgement - only compassion._

_“None of that matters now. Not with what we have seen," Finn replied, and followed with an account of what they had seen on Tatooine. An entity capable of destroying ships, armadas, entire planets. That materialized at will and destroyed within minutes. As Rose described the details of their escape, the faces around the room became harder and darker._

_“It’s the First Order, it has to be. Leia found out and they got her," Rose concluded._

_Rey slammed her fist on the holobard, causing everyone to jump. “You don’t listen, do you? It is coming for everything, the Resistance, the Republic, the First Order, everything. Its purpose is destruction. It will not stop unless we face it together. Me and Ben.”_

_She saw their faces set into hard lines. Distrust, disbelief, sadness. Alright, if it had to be like this, so be it, she decided. “I am going, whether you like it or not. I am not going to hang around waiting for that thing to devour us.”_

_Poe got up and stood in front of her, his hand over his blaster. Rey looked at him and clenched her jaw. The General was suddenly rammed against the wall and pinned there. Rose moved to help him, but Finn stopped her. Chewbacca immediately stood between Rey and Poe, bellowing at the Jedi, who lost her focus at her friend’s plea, releasing the pilot._

_“I am going” she said, her voice clipped. She looked at Finn, one last time, nodding her head.  She went out the door in the direction of the hangar, with Chewbacca trailing right behind her._

 

Now, there was no turning back, as Rey saw the Falcon’s lights and command holo were indicating that it was ready to depart. Rey looked at the Wookiee . “It is better that you stay. They are going to need you when the time comes. To face Hux. Chewie, he needs to be destroyed, do you hear me? If I fail...”

The Wookiee looked at her and nodded. She got up and hugged him. He was as close as she would ever get to a father. Chewie seemed to have guessed her thoughts as he rumbled a few words into her hear.

“I will.”

 

\-----

 

She had done everything according to Luke’s teachings. She felt the power, the strength of the Force guiding her, like a beacon, to an unknown planet in the Outer Rim, one that was carefully hidden in most of the maps that she ran through the Falcon’s AI. But as she tapped into the connection, she felt him struggle, with pain and the same hesitation as before. He wanted her far away.

The planet was enveloped in a blanket of clouds and rain. She could see a vast forest, stretching as far as the eye could see. There was no artificial activity of notice, only the usual animal life forms were detected. But then, an heat signal registering in the dashboard. She followed it, until she reached a mountain. Wedged in one of the slopes she could see some form of a building carved into the rock and there, in the adjacent plateau, the ship she had seen in her dreams.

She landed the Falcon next to it and looked at the entrance, right in front of her. It was pouring, but she could see three shapes, silhouetted against the light coming out the massive doors. She reached for her saber, strapped on her thigh, to muster some courage. She put on her cape and pushed the door open and the ramp down.

Rey eyed both figures carefully, measuring her chances in case she needed to react quickly. One figure was quite larger than the other. In fact, they seemed the opposite. One was as big as Chewbacca and was holding a sword with a wide, menacing looking blade. The other was very slender and had small build. He was sitting on top of a rock, legs crossed, playing with a small dagger.

Rey moved carefully, her hand always at the ready, over her saber, not knowing if they would welcome her or not. Suddenly, the slender one jumped onto the ground  and she stopped, waiting, hand over the switch. They also stopped, looking at her, but there was something in their poses that was relaxed enough and almost welcoming. The black hooded figures actually seemed to be waiting for her. She eased a little, and continued her approach.

As she came closer, she spotted the masks behind the hoods, mimicking the only mask she knew. And she remembered her vision, back in Takodana, so vivid and clear: it was them, the Knights of Ren, surrounding their master, protecting him. She felt the saber weighing heavily on her leg as she approached.

“You are expected, Jedi," the slender Knight said as he pointed to the door, inviting her in. A woman. Rey was surprised, despite the chills brought by the inhuman sound of the vocoder, so similar to what she remembered. The massive knight stepped aside practically inviting her to enter the building.

It was an antechamber of some sorts, where she could see some cots facing the left wall and a flight of stairs lighted by torches, on her right. In the center there was a small fire pit, where a fire was burning. A kettle rested on top of some embers.

She saw weapons and armor gathered in a corner, and recognized them immediately as belonging to Praetorians. Next to it, there were boxes with provisions.

Beyond the fire pit, there was a long corridor, being guarded by two other knights. Rey actually thought they were statues before seeing their matching masks - they were completely the same, not like the knights outside. From the room at the end of the corridor came sounds similar to a repair shop – the clink of metal, an occasional drilling. She tensed as she heard someone coming towards the entrance and was about to strike the saber when the small figure of Maz Kanata emerged.

“Oh, finally you have arrived!" she exclaimed, a mix of happiness and reproach.

The little humanoid hurried down the corridor, cleaning her hands with a black cloth and shoving it to the pile of armor in the corner, before embracing Rey who was still shaken to see her there.

“What? How?”

Maz adjusted her goggles and looked at her closely. Rey felt like she was scanning her mind, which was probably true, given her sensitivity to the Force. Her face went from serious to soft and she nodded.

“I made a promise, a long time ago. If one day Ben Solo came for help, I would provide it no matter what. And came to me he did.”

“Kylo Ren came to you, asking for help?”

Maz eyed Rey with an annoyed look.

“No. Aren’t you listening? I said Ben Solo came to me. I would never help Kylo Ren.”

Rey’s face lit up and she looked with hope to the corridor and the door, almost willing him to appear right there and then. Maz frowned.

“Now Rey, do not get your hopes up. He is in a dangerous phase, still struggling and hurt, very hurt. And you know where that can lead to. So it is very fortunate that you are here. It took you long enough. I thought you Jedi had this all figured out by now.”

“Maz, I am not completely sure what to do.”

The alien figure just smiled. She reached for Rey’s hands and took them into their own, shaking them, trying to emphasize her next words. She felt incredibly light, but Rey could feel the power of those small fingers sieving through her skin and into her. Maz continued.

“Leia is lost to us. It broke him and all that remains is Ben Solo. He doubts his power, thinks himself weak with nothing to fight for. He is wrong.”

Rey nodded and squared her shoulders. It was a daunting task. The last time they were face to face, in the flesh, she had just rejected him and tried to run with his grandfather's saber. The saber she laboriously pieced together with nothing but some texts to guide her and the will to make it work, somehow. It was not the same exact light, but it was hers alone. Would he be mad? Would he reject her now, in turn?

“Calm yourself child. Leave those questions at the foot of the door along with the past. Embrace what is ahead of you. Of him.”

Maz pulled Rey towards the corridor and then she came behind the girl, gently pushing her forward. Slowly, she stepped into the corridor, passing through the two knights and over the threshold into the next room.

Ben was lying down on an operating table, surrounded by machines and medical paraphernalia. A medical droid was hunched over him and Rey could only see his face, scrunched in pain, eyes closed. The droid was drilling something that she could not make out.

“Try it now, please.”

Rey heard a faint hydraulic sound coming from the table. The droid moved to the side, letting her see the metal hand that was now part of Ben’s body.

“It is possible to cover it with a skin graft," the droid ventured.

“No. No grafts. I need to be reminded.” His voice was still deep, but it felt weak to Rey’s hears. Defeated. He got up and sat on the table, testing the arm and the hand, bending his fingers one by one, turning his wrist. The droid was clearing the equipment, getting ready to leave.

“Why are you here? I told you to hide,” he said dryly.

He was still looking at his hand, like a client observing a product, checking for imperfections. Rey just blinked in reaction to the question. To her, it just sounded absurd, given what she had seen and what he had said.

“Ben. We can take it down, together” she answered, knowing perfectly well to what she was referring.

He finally brought the arm down and pushed himself off the table in one sweeping movement. For someone else, it would seem that he wasn’t hurt at all, but Rey knew that it was a lie. She could feel his tension and effort through the bond. He was trying to hide it from her. He crossed the room and rummaged through his black clothes that were pooled on the floor. Rey observed his broad, muscular back, filled with thin lines and bruises. She also recognized the scar left from Chewie’s bowcaster. Finally, he emerged with his saber and Rey immediately tensed. He looked over his shoulder at her and feigned indifference, striking the saber on.

He felt the weight of the hilt with the robotic hand, testing its reflexes, practicing his movements, swiping the saber from side to side. It hummed and vibrated with glee, like it had a personality of its own, and Rey couldn’t help but smile and admire the grace of those curves, which were delicate in contrast to the brutality that she had seen from him. Finally satisfied, he shut off the saber and threw it again onto the pile of clothes. He sighed and turned to her, holding her gaze straight on, his left eye trembling.

“Go back to the Resistance, Rey.” The hint of criticism was not lost on her. She would not let it go.

“How can you still defend the First Order after all that they have done to you?”

Ben hunched and raised his voice, angry.

“I am not. But don’t you think for one second that changes what I feel about the Republic. Why do you think you are having so much difficulty in assembling an army? Half of that Senate is profiting out of the war, that’s why.”

He stepped closer to her and squinted his eyes.

“Some of them are even heading crime syndicates. Do you know that?”

Rey shifted her weight from one leg to the other, clenching her fists, clearly uncomfortable. For too long she had grown distant of the Senate and its dwellings. She wanted to defend her friends, nothing else. Helping the Republic was secondary; she just wanted the war to end, for everyone to be safe and free. She had enough tyranny growing up alone on Jakku. And that prompted her answer.

“No one should be a slave. And that is what your First Order represents. Slavery.”

“That is what Hux represents, not me.” he answered. Suddenly, Rey saw something flash in his eyes, that turned soft and sad, remembering something. “Have you asked yourself, at least once, what could have happened had you taken my hand?”

His voice was hesitant, his eyes searching. She remembered how he had entered her mind, the first time they met, but now it felt nothing like it. He was reaching, but gently, afraid that she might recoil, which she didn’t.

But how could she begin to answer that question? That question that had burned her for countless sleepless nights, remembering his plea, so sincere and wanton. She could not hide her feelings. “Yes, I have,” she finally admitted.

He was expecting that answer, he had felt it. Rey saw his physical reaction, an hint of a movement, wanting to close the distance between them. Rey found that she also wanted for him to take that leap; but that would lead them away from the main problem.

“I never cared about power. You asked for the wrong reasons.”

She immediately saw his body respond to her dismissal. He twitched and then tensed. Finally, he turned, disappointed. It was not the answer that he wanted to hear, that he sensed while reaching for their connection. It was like an abrupt clash into reality once more, and it felt cold.

“What is your plan then?” she asked, feeling him redrawing in the bond, her heart sinking in the process.

He started going through some clothes, trying to find something to put on. “The Knights stand with me. Hux will pay for what he did to my mother.”

“Do you really think you can handle that thing alone?" she ventured.

He put on a black sweater, feeling the coarse fabric over his bruises. It stung and he pursed his lips. She was waiting for an answer.

All he wanted was to keep that nightmare from happening. He had to figure out what to do, but first he had to make sure she was safe. “There is nothing that can be done. You should hide, far away, and resist.”

“That is not true. Luke told me…”

At the mention of his uncle, Ben could not avoid a sound of frustration and he punched his chest, just like Rey had seen him do on Starkiller base. “Luke. What does he know? He always assumed too much. It was all or nothing for him," he shouted.

“It runs in the family," she said, her voice clipped. She just couldn’t help herself and immediately regretted it. She closed her eyes, feeling a coldness washing over her through the bond.

“Get. Out." he growled.

She did not move.

“GET OUT!” he shouted.

Rey pivoted and went out the door. She heard the lightsaber igniting, followed by a warping, metal crushing and rock rolling on the floor. He was grunting with each strike, venting his frustration. She moved through the corridor quickly, back to the antechamber.

Maz was sitting close to the fire pit, sipping from a cup. She reached for the kettle and poured a golden liquid into another cup, offering it to Rey. She eyed the wise woman and decided to accept the offer. It was fragrant and she sipped it, feeling immediately a bit better.

“Better?” Maz asked, smiling.

Rey nodded. The sound of something breaking and Ben cursing, came from the other room, making Rey increasingly frustrated. She felt him battering away at their bond, like he wanted to physically impel her to go. She tightened her grip around the cup, to the point when it became unbearable and she screamed, throwing the cup to the fire and standing up to leave.

Immediately the sounds subsided. Rey looked towards the door, waiting for him to appear. Nothing. She snorted, projecting all her disappointment into the connection, under Maz’s judging gaze.

Rey could not help to notice the disapproval in her friend's eyes. “He is acting like a child, getting angry at what he doesn't want to hear!”

Maz approached her and removed her goggles, blinking.

“Children are stubborn. But passionate. They fight for what they want. They are vindictive but also selfless. They are loyal. They want to prove themselves.”

Maz took Rey's hands once more and the Jedi felt the weight on her chest lessen.

“Rey, they also love unconditionally. They want to protect who they love at any cost.”

Her heart jumped at the words, making the old woman smile, feeling her reaction. She nodded and Rey pursed her lips, tears welling up for having her feelings exposed in such an easy way.

“I am trying, Maz.”

“As a good friend once told me: do, or do not. There is no try," she answered.

“It goes both ways, damn it!" she said, dropping her hands and clenching her jaw. She took a step back away from the fire and pushed the cape over her head, bracing herself for the rain outside.

The slender Knight of Ren emerged over the threshold, blocking the way. She looked at the three slits of his mask and sensed her probing, to which she responded in equal measure. Rey was astonished at the level of feral protection the Knight projected: she would gladly give her life for her companions, Ben Solo included. But Rey stood her ground and fought her intrusion, just like she had fought Kylo Ren in Takodana. It was enough for the Knight to succumb, gripping her sword tighter and then retract, freeing the passage.

“He doesn’t care. He will never care," she said over her shoulder, as the sweat dripped from her forehead. She cleaned it, absentmindedly, and went out the door into the rainy night.

“Everything in that sentence is wrong," whispered Maz.

 

\------

 

_He was staring at the black void in front of him, attracted by its depth, the Force and the Dark twisting inside it. It stood again, as a great tidal wave, spiraling on the horizon, steady and waiting. And even more powerful, so much that he could feel it pulling him in, almost like a call._

_The shapes, again, spreading the field separating it from the Void, rising over the edge of the hill. He saw them twisting and moving, each with a mind of its own._

_Suddenly, there she was, Rey, going up the hill. His heart jumped like it was about to rip his chest apart. It took a conscious effort to control his impulse to run to her._

_“And that is where you fail.”_

_Ben looked to the man beside him. His grandfather had never looked so young, so much in its prime. He had never seen an image of his true self, but knew instinctively that it was him._

_“She is special," he pressed on._

_Ben raised an eyebrow, feeling a sudden rush of jealousy taking over him, but then dismissing it in the next moment. He looked ahead, to Rey. Once again, he was unable to move. Anakin snorted, feeling his grandson's struggle._

_“Obi-wan told me once about how the Force came to be. At the beginning, there was nothing. A void, darkness.”_

_Anakin looked over his shoulder, to the black hole stretching in the horizon. His look was familiar, like seeing a long lost companion - friend or foe, Ben could not tell. Anakin’s eyes then moved over to Rey, narrowing into slits._

_“Out of Darkness a singularity emerged. A pulse of pure energy. It pushed the Dark away, as its power echoed through the Galaxy. And in its wake, we are repeated, constantly, in different times, eras and worlds. Different lifes and paths.”_

_Anakin raised his arm, pointing at the shapes before them. And Ben saw the child approaching them, her face becoming clearer at each step. He shivered as he recognized himself in her eyes. She smiled and laughed, raising her arms, asking to be held. It felt pure and strong._

_Ben looked at his grandfather, searching for confirmation._

_“A singularity, you are.” The words sounded heavy and full of meaning._

_Ben was unable to tell truth from fiction, dream from reality. Anakin placed his hands on his grandsons’ shoulders, squeezing them. He looked deep into his eyes and Ben felt his chest fill with resolve. No Vader. A Skywalker. It was a look of pride, not resentment or hate. Of filial love._

_“You have to help her, Ben.”_

_His grandfather looked over his shoulder at Rey, who had reached the top of the hill and was directly in front of that menacing blackness._

_“What are you waiting for?” whispered Anakin._

_Suddenly, it was if he was not in command of himself anymore. He just reacted, running towards her, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He saw her raise her lightsaber._

_“Rey!” he shouted, wanting to stop her, afraid that he would not make it. She looked behind and smiled, raising the lightsaber._

_“REY, WAIT!” he cried, throwing himself over her, his body a shield, protecting her._

_The wave came crashing down._

 

Ben woke up, startled and panting. He looked at the door, trying to sense her through the bond. She was in pain.

“Rey," he blurted, jumping out of the bed and running into the night.

 

\------

 

Rey woke with a cry, panting and sweating. It took her a minute to realize she was in the Falcon’s main bedroom. She had never used it before, but the rest was most welcome until the turmoil of another  nightmare.

“Not again, kriff.”

She hated that feeling, that sense of failure, of wanting to help but being unable to, always failing in the last second. It tormented her, night after night. He always looked at her with such a longing, a soft gaze and then...blackness, cold, despair. And she cried, feeling her cheeks wet before opening her eyes and realizing it was another dream.

She got up and went into the fresher at the end of the hall, closing the door behind her. She splashed her face a couple of times and rubbed her eyes. This was not working. Her mind was racing, undecided. Perhaps it would be better just to take off and go.

But then she would hear the echo of Leia’s words in her mind. “You can't. You promised," she said to herself. If she left, it would feel just like in the dream. She would fail him, and that made her heart feel heavy with anguish. Rey looked at the mirror and willed herself to calm down. She would try again. Maybe it would be enough.

As she returned to the room, Ben was standing by the bed. He turned around and Rey was hit with the coolness of his relief washing over their connection. He was barefooted, she noticed, his feet smudged with mud. He was sweating and his hair was disheveled with strands poking out here and there like he had just woken up. It would have been funny if he didn’t look so serious.

“I thought – you weren’t here and–"

He seemed confused, looking from the bed to her. He squared his shoulders and chewed the inside of his lip, nervous, before finally deciding. He lowered his eyes and started for the door.

“I am sorry to disturb you,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Reacting in instinct, she stood in his way, barring him from leaving. Her heart was racing with the certainty of her move. He was so close she could smell the nightmare still clinging to him.

He raised his eyes and met hers. The last time they had stood this close in the flesh was in the elevator of the Supremacy, when he had wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms right there and then.

They stood silent for a long moment, exchanging unsaid words, feeling the Force invading their bodies, transforming into a magnetism that anchored them to the spot. Rey reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with the cool, metal ones. Ben was shocked with the sensation: it felt as real as it had been in the hut, when he saw her past and their future. Together.

“Stay," she whispered.

He saw her lips tremble and part. It was too much: in an impulse, he reached for the kiss he was longing for. The sudden connection was a shockwave, pulsing with an intoxicating energy that swirled in his chest and made his body crash into hers, grabbing her tight. As the sensation flooded her, Rey felt her legs give way, her body supported by nothing more than his arms. As that first kiss ended, he knew that it was nothing more than a short breath away from all the others that would follow. Nothing had felt more right.

They were out of breath, unable to speak through the sensations. Rey looked at him, eyes glowing with certainty and desire, gently pulling him towards the bed. She sat but he kept standing, an excited but hesitant look in his eye. He was fighting with himself, with the words that he had kept from being uttered out loud, for fear of sounding weak to another’s ears.  

“I wished this. Since I first saw you. Since I first fought you – you were my equal.”

He came down on his knees and placed his head on her lap, grabbing her waist with his arms. She could not help but sink her fingers into that black mane, so silky and smooth, and kiss the crown of his head. He exhaled, feeling her breath on him and the warm of her hands.

“Not having you tormented me ever since you shut the door on Crait,” he finally confessed.

He raised his face towards hers, as she placed her hands over his cheeks, caressing its moles and scars. His eyes were deep and hypnotizing, as soft as she remembered from her dream. She nodded, smiling.

“My equal. My other self.” The words escaped her lips without even realizing. It was like they had always been there, waiting to come out. What she felt inside, all this time trying to find an explanation was, after all, in front of her.

And then it was his turn to smile. A gentle, soft stretching of his lips, transforming his face into someone she had never seen before. _He is the same, the same face, the same smile of that man in the desert, how?_ How could it be, that something so simple could change someone so deeply? She fell in love with that smile instantly, from his slightly uneven teeth, to the dimple in his cheek and how that happiness reached his eyes.

She lay back, stretching on the bed, his eyes roaming her freely. His hands followed, trailing her hips and then her arms. His massive body nestled within the alcove, next to hers; she seemed apparently lean and frail, but felt strong and solid under him. He marveled at that.

Reaching for his nape, she pulled him down once more, kissing him with fervour, as her hands fluttered over his muscular back, pressing him. He pushed away her tunic and found her breasts, soft and smooth like some exotic fabric. She loosened the sash of his pants, skillfully pushing them down with her feet, until they were both naked, raw and bare to each other.

He trailed the path from her throat, behind her ear, to her collarbone, with delicate licks, enjoying the taste of her skin. He came to rest on her breast, licking her, making her arch her back in joyous delight.

Her hands slid down his shoulders, over his back, down to the smooth curve below. She beckoned, pinning him to her center, welcoming. He raised his face, wanting to look into her eyes as he took her in one motion, that intake of breath suspended with his, while the sensations ran like a river over them.

Her eyes welled up with tears, feeling her body respond as if they were always meant to be connected like this. A tear escaped, rolling down her face, only to be caught by his lips. She sighed, hugging him closer.

“Touch me, Ben. Move with me.”

He slid his hand down, into the warmth of their joining, and found it deliciously moist and slick. A whimper escaped her lips, as he caressed her, and he moaned in response, feeling her tightening around him and her nails burning deep on his back, making him growl.

She opened her eyes and marveled at the intensity of his features, how his eyes burned her, just like the first time their sabers crossed. He had offered to teach her. They both smiled at the memory and its irony, touching foreheads.

And then she felt her chest swell and a pressure mounting. The sensations running, unbridled and unchecked, becoming stronger at each of his strokes.

“Rey!” he called, responding to the plea of her body, wanting nothing more to see her melt beneath him in that golden warmth of the Force. He hissed as she came, spasms running through them, through the bond, that excruciating and unbelievable feeling of belonging holding him tight and pushing him. He felt her legs wrapping around his waist, pulling onward, her hands holding him, her grip strong. He whispered into her ear.

“Take my hand, Rey. Please, take it.”

He was reaching for her, once more, as their bodies hummed and twined, as the sweat glistened and the scents mingled, becoming one. She felt him slowing down, ever so slightly, waiting for her response. How could she deny what was certain in her heart?

“I take your hand, Ben Solo," she whispered.

Rey could swear she saw the Force invading him, as he resumed his drive, projecting his pleasure into the bond, making her feel the same. He closed his eyes, his moment coming, strong and powerful as he imagined it to be. They both gasped, as the Force blasted through their bodies, their hearts beating as one - half light, half dark. Whole.

He held her tight, as the rush slowly faded, in almost a bittersweet pain. He finally succumbed, in a confusion of sweat, tangled limbs and bed sheets.

He trailed kisses across her chest, her neck, her mouth with his eyes. He bit his cheek controlling his impulse, seeing her lips moist and slightly open, her ragged breath subsiding. She turned to him and reached for a lock of hair that covered his eyes, tucking it away behind his ear.

And there they lay, motionless, in silence. Contemplating what was, after all, their destiny - each other. For more than once they thought of something to say, but the words seemed small and insignificant in comparison to the feelings that rampage through their bond. Ben reached for her hand, twining his fingers with hers.

Silence, then. No words necessary.

 

 

**FIVE**

Poe shifted on the high seat and ran his sleeve over his forehead. He was sweating, despite the cold environment of the Liberator’s command bridge. He was anxious about what would at them once they got out of hyperspace.

“Is Niza’s scrambling device working?” He turned to Rose, expectant. The mechanic, now dressed in a officer’s uniform, nodded. All right, that was another one of the list of things that he needed to not worry about. It was a very short list.

Sometime after Rey stormed out and technically defected from them, taking the Falcon, all he wanted to do was to grab an X-Wing and follow in pursuit, to blow the scavenger out of the sky. But Chewbacca had convinced him of the terrible idea that was.

“Let her do her thing, if it works, it works,” the Wookiee bellowed. “If it doesn’t...well, we cannot be picky, we needed all the help we could get." That was certainly true, she was a tough fighter and a good pilot.

But Poe kept thinking of all the things that they shared together, as a crew. The meetings, the training, the victories, the defeats. All this time she was able to connect to Kylo Ren. Maybe feeding that information to him. How could she be certain she wasn’t being played?

“General Dameron, we are approaching the Chommell sector," a technician announced.

“Contact the remaining ships, tell them to jump out ahead of our orbit, I don’t want any surprises.”

“Yes, General.”

As the Liberator and the trailing assault ships left hyperspace the buzzer sounded loud across the ship, signaling shields at full force. Poe braced himself, ready for impact, but the moment came and went. No blaster. He could see the blue light of Naboo’s atmosphere, but no First Order.

“What the hell?" he started.

“General, the Senate is hailing us.”

Poe signaled to patch the com through and the ragged, frail voice of Mon Mothma filled the room like a ghost from the past.

“General Dameron, welcome”

“Senator, what is going on? We have received several distress signals coming from the Senate, informing of an attack in large scale.”

There was a silence, broken by statics.

“Senator?”

“I am sorry, General, but you have been misinformed. However, it is fortunate that you are here. We have been receiving disturbing reports from the Outer Rim posts. It seems that an attack indeed might be imminent. We need to consider our options.”

Poe looked at Finn, who nodded.

“A minute, Senator," as he muted the communication and turned to his crew “I don’t like this. It might be a trap.”

“The signature signal checks out, its not adulterated” Rose replied, observing the command holoboard. “It is the Senate main channel, not a clone. Voice signature also matches and is within validation parameters. She is speaking the truth.”

“Poe, it is true what she is saying. This...thing that we saw. I don’t know how we can begin to fight it. The Republic needs to know what it's up against.” Finn was determined to do his best to help.

“Connix, D’Acy are you there?” Poe called to the other two Commanders, who promptly appeared as holos over the main console.

“Yes, General.”

“Be on your toes. We are settling assault ships on Naboo, the destroyers stay put and wait for our command.” He turned to Rose and signaled her to unmute communications with the Senate. “Senator, we want authorization to disembark shuttles and assault ships on the plateau, to the north the city.”

“Are you expecting an attack, General? We are, after all, on a peaceful planet. I do not think the Queen will see this...”

“These are not peaceful times Senator. We must have at least some form of defence. I urge you to request the Queen and the Gungan leader to be ready in case of an attack."

There was a silence on the other side, but the hesitation was palpable.

“General, we know what you might be up against. You must be on alert for a quick evacuation. Inform the Queen, please” Poe pressed, a hint of fear in his voice.

A second later, the ragged voice of Mon Mothma was heard again.

“Authorization granted, General.”

Poe turned to Finn after the call was ended “Tell Chewbacca that he should be at the ready in case something happens. He knows the signal, right?”

Finn nodded and handled Poe his bracelet, with the blue crystal glowing in the middle. “He will be ready."

 

\------

 

“Welcome, General Dameron!”

Physically, Mon Mothma was a shadow of her former self. Small, thin and wrinkled, her hair had gone from brilliant red to snow white. She sported the same fashionable long, flowing dresses and necklaces - relics of an happier age - but they were now trailing over her hoverchair. Her crystal blue eyes had lost none of their potency and knowledge. Yes, her body was old, but her mind was not.

“It is a shame that we have to meet in such a dark hour. I have heard of Leia. It is a great loss to our cause”

“Thank you, Senator. I know she was a dear friend of yours.”

The old woman lowered her eyes and dropped her shoulders a little bit. “I wished I could have done more by her. I have been sick for too long. I know I don’t have much time left in me. The only thing I could do was to fight for what we believed."

“So you have heard what is going on in the Outer Rim? What happened to Tatooine?”

“Off course General, the Republic still has its eyes and ears” said a tall figure by the door. Poe did not recognized the character, but it was evident that it was a product of the Republic, through and through, all the way up to its snobbish look. Mon Mothma looked intently at Poe, trying to communicate something with him, while keeping her voice as neutral as possible.

“Ah, Senators, glad you are here. This is General Dameron, Commander of the Resistance.”

All Senators nodded, to which Poe replied with a polite nod. They were eyeing him from top to bottom, and the taller one clearly wanted to keep its distance like he was some sort of malady. Poe snorted.

“General, these are Senators Umak, Triu and Sand. Gentlemen, you know why I have called you. I understand that you have sway over the Senate, as it now stands, and the hour is dire. Although Starkiller was destroyed we are now facing a new weapon, one that has destroyed the planet of Tatooine in the Outer Rim.”

“Yes, we have had accounts from neighboring systems. Whatever it was, it was fast, leaving very little time for an evacuation. I placed all outposts on alert for any electromagnetic or gravity abnormality, so we can at least have some form of warning," Senator Umak reported to the group.

Mon Mothma appreciated the information being shared, to which Senator Triu also responded with details on the assembly and coordination of armies of at least five systems in preparation to a First Order attack. Intel was dubious on that, he remarked, “I was hoping General Dameron could help us with it.”

Senator Sand decided that to be the time to interrupt the dialogue. “Aren’t we exaggerating? I mean, Tatooine was a festid place, crawling with parasites. Are we really bothered that it is gone? So far as we know, this can be a cleanser to a lot of planets of the Outer Rim that have turned sympathetic to the First Order.”

Poe smirked, and lowered his eyes, shaking his head.

“You disagree, General?”

“Yes, I disagree. We are talking about people. Families. Or do you mean the slaves that lived there? They came in handy when it was a question of supplying parts or gathering fuel, right?”

“We can use the weapon to our advantage. Monitor its appearances, as Umak said. Wait for where it appears and the planet it attacks. This can persuade the Senate to vote for the repeal of the Galactic concord, so we can build a full armada and crush the First Order. General, they need to know they can win.”

“Are you insane? And risk having another planet destroyed? That would be something out of the Empire’s old book right?”

Mon Mothma raised her hand, preventing the discussion from escalating further. “And we are not like that. That does not erase the fact that this weapon was able to do it. We don’t know how it materialized, there wasn’t any energy displacement like in Starkiller. It simply appeared, like a life form… with a will of its own.”

Poe looked at Mon Mothma and decided that he couldn’t hide the information any more. “It might not be a weapon of the First Order. It can be something completely new, bigger than any of the First Order or Republic."

“How do you know this?" the old woman frowned.

Poe felt his own soul conflicted. A shred of confidence for his friend was still strong enough for him to hesitate and not speak of Rey’s betrayal and escape. He could not speak of Luke’s appearance as well - he was not seen with kind eyes by the Republic, given his heritage.

Suddenly, Sand started laughing causing everyone to stare at him strangely, Poe included.

“Senator, what do you find so amusing?”

“I thought that I could keep up this charade for longer, but it is just too wonderful to not share with the group what is going through each of your minds,” Sand pointed at his own temple.

It was then that Poe spotted the morphing band on his wrist and gasped, reaching for his blaster only to see it fly across the room and into Sand’s hands.

“Senator! What is the meaning of this?" Mon Mothma asked, shifting nervously on her chair. Sand approached her, hands behind his back, with a smug smile brushing his green lips. Poe took the opportunity to press the button on his own bracelet.

“Oh...thank you General Dameron. You saved me the trouble of calling on your friends," Sand remarked, reaching for the morphingband and shutting it off, revealing his true self: Armitage Hux. Everyone in the room froze on the spot, unable to move and react.

“Senator Sand. What have you done to him?" cried the old woman. Hux laughed over her, with spite.

“Sand is a syndicate pawn, nothing more. A pawn we kept positioned right in your heart. And there are others. We are deeper than you know, always have been.” As he said it, the neck of Senator Umak cracked and his body fell. Poe snarled, but was still immobile. Mon Mothma was shaking and it was clear that she was not feeling well. Still she fought to remain lucid.

“How is this...possible?”

“Why, Senator, you do not know the ways of the Force? There was never a question of who is stronger. Darkness always wins. Dark is absolute. Absorbs all - good, evil, light. All is trapped within it. It is a blank slate, to start anew. And anew we shall begin. First Order, Empire, Sith, we will all be one and absolute. Finally all will be done by our image”

He turned to Poe, then.

“Now, General...where is your scavenger friend again?”

 

\-------

 

Ben woke up, startled. For a second he did not recognized his surroundings, but then the memories of the night emerged. He felt a chill, responding to the exhilaration that coursed through him.

Rey shifted beside him, mumbling something that sounded roughly like his name. The sheet barely covered her, given the stifling heat inside the room. Their lovemaking had been intense; the air was still heavy with it. Ben couldn't help admire her beauty, calm and serene, and her curves, sinuous and sensual, making the images of ecstasy stronger and sharper in his memory.

He swallowed, tempted to wake her and make her moan the promises she had made all over again. But he refrained. He could not remember when he had slept without nightmares. He was sure it was the same for her.

Carefully, he got up and walked to  the closet, rummaging inside, looking for something he could put on. He came across some of his father's old clothes: a black shirt that had some small holes but was wearable, and his vest. He remembered looking for sweets in its hidden pockets. Han always brought them after a time away from home somewhere. It was his way of avoiding the guilt of staying away too long and not bringing his son along for the ride.

Ben’s face tightened and he pushed away the memories – the good and the bad – breathing deeply. Finally, he took the clothes and went into the fresher for a shower. As the water ran down his back, it felt like portions of his former self where washing away; like an animal, shedding its skin. When ready, he looked in the mirror and felt the image staring back was an alien. He pressed a button, and a small droid detached from the wall.

“Grooming” he ordered, his voice clipped.

The bot worked fluidly around him. When it was finished, he looked again: his hair was shorter and combed, but not too short that it would not cover his hears – the only physical feature that annoyed him since he was a child. He traced the length of the scar with his metal fingers. The scar and his new hand were the few pieces of his past that he would accept gladly. One for respect. The other, for revenge.

He shook away the dust from his pants and headed for the small cubicle that served as a kitchen. He still remembered everything about that ship, every corner, every nook, every button. He moved like he had never left, pressing the button for the caf, another switch for the protein porridge that Chewie used to prepare, with doses of honey stolen from the pantry of the Queen’s palace on Naboo. A small smile crept up his lips at those memories, as he stirred the cup while heading for the cockpit.

A warm yellow light was breaking through the grey clouds, pushing away the mist above the tree canopy before him. No wind. No rain. He looked at his father’s chair, noticing the little dents and smudges, remembering the times he had sat on his lap, playing with the commands. Finally he sat, and the chair immediately reclined causing his feet to go up and him almost toppling the coffee all over the console.

“Kriff!” he blurted, avoiding the hot drips overflowing the cup. He finally settled, his legs stretched over the console, sipping coffee and enjoying the warmth of the sun bathing his face.

In that moment, his heart squeezed remembering his father’s look, as the Dark flooded his soul and he pulled the trigger of the saber. He remembered the touch of Han’s hand over his face. Ben lowered his head, feeling conflicted, his tattered soul pieced together by Rey stretching, menacing to rip again.

“ _The greatest teacher, failure is_ ,” a voice whispered. Ben snapped his head behind, waiting for a Force ghost to be standing there, but it was only an empty corridor. He swallowed, forcing his heart rate to slow down. He was disconcerted, feeling his soul shaking away the dark tendrils that dangerously tried to overcome him once more.

He reached for his pocket, taking out the golden dice that used to be his favourite plaything in that very room. After juggling them in his hand, feeling their weight and warmth, he stretched over the console and placed them in the hook over the window. Then, he sat down, resuming his position, looking at the dangling trinket. Slowly, he rested his head back and closed his eyes, focusing, trying to find some form of settlement in his heart.

He felt Rey through the bond before she entered the cockpit. She tiptoed, not wanting to interrupt him, but also because she did not know what the morning would bring. Would it be an angry, defeated Ben Solo? Or would it be the Ben Solo that asked her to take his hand, and welcome him in? She sat behind him and looked at her feet, not knowing what to say.

“Good morning. It's a nice start,” he murmured in a serious tone, bringing his feet down and pivoting the chair to face her.

“I don’t want to bother you, or to pry into your mind” she said, becoming agitated. Next she was getting up and turning to leave “You probably want to be alone."

Ben reached for her hand, stopping her from leaving, pulling her into an embrace and planting a languid kiss on her lips. She tasted of porridge, he thought smiling. She melted into his arms, the tension of her doubts fading away. He broke the kiss, caressing her face. Rey frowned, suddenly realizing: that he was different; first his hair, and then she looked at what he was wearing, recognizing the clothes.

“You look nothing like you.”

It was Ben’s turn to frown, and Rey was hit with a pang of insecurity wafting from him. Immediately she smiled and cupped his face, kissing away his insecurities in turn, letting him know how she loved it. Loved the smell of his hair, the taste of the caf in his mouth, how those two open buttons of his collar sent shivers down her back.

“You tempt me,” he whispered.

She smiled, as she placed her fingers over his adam’s apple and down onto that sweet spot at the base of his throat.

“Ben. They need our help.”

The mood changed, and Ben shifted his body, turning around and drinking another long gulp of coffee. Rey waited for him to finish and just stared at him waiting for an answer. He knew that she was not a person to hide and wait. She would do anything to defend her friends. Nonetheless, it was frustrating that he could not make her see how frail were the Resistance’ arguments to defend the Republic.

“I will not be doing this for them," he stated, in a flat tone. “I will be doing it for my mother.” He paused a bit, before taking another sip, and murmured, “Revenge. I take it all to myself." His voice was dark, menacing. Rey realized that forever he would carry that darkness inside of him, bounded by a tight leash, unrepentant upon the ones that crossed him, or hurt the people he truly cared about. He looked at her, and his eyes trailed, absentmindedly, over Rey’s saber, already attached to her leg, and he remembered her igniting the beam, facing the Void.

“And for you. For you, above all else.”

Rey trembled, the visions crossing her mind in rapid flashes, recognizing her own mirror nightmares in his memories. Yes, she could not do it without him and he would do it for her, because he could not bear to lose her. It would destroy him, she now saw it clearly. That fear was like a blow to her chest, that almost left her without breathing. He turned and embraced her again, cradling her head and burying his nose in her neck.

“Finally!” a voice spoke behind them. They turned, surprised to find Maz just outside the cockpit door. “We got a signal, let's go already.”

 

\-------

 

“Chewie!” Finn yelled, warning the Wookiee. It was a close call, as he dodged another blaster from the incoming stormtroopers. Even with the assault ships, they were still outnumbered by the clusters of troopers that had broken into the plateau almost out of thin air.

Finn hunched behind one of the large rocks scattering the terrain, but there wasn’t much cover to find.The attack had been sudden and coordinated, with two separate forces coming from the north and east, literally cornering them between the mountain and the city. Chewie ran towards Finn, sliding through the ground onto his side.

The Wookiee bellowed, looking at his bracelet, which he had punched as soon as Finn received the signal. How much time would it take for her to come to their aid? Thinking of it, he mumbled an old war saying under his breath. It was supposed to bring swift flight to the army, maybe it could get her to come faster, preferably with help. Another team of rebels ran to the front, trying to avoid the blaster fire and respond in equal measure. Finn looked over to the field, already scattered with bodies, friends and foe alike.

Chewbacca ran towards the shuttle, which was barely covered by a slab of pointy rock on its side. Rose handled the cannon blaster over the porthole, firing over the enemy positions.

She screamed, “Chewie! The ship is not moving. I don’t  know what’s going on!" She looked to the other assault ship that had successfully taken flight and was now blasting the troopers at low altitude. Suddenly, two AT-ST appeared from inside of the forest, shooting the positions and moving towards them, albeit slowly because of the rocky terrain.

Rose saw the assault ship turn and head to the walkers, as three TIE-fighters swooped down in pursuit. She turned the cannon up, trying to shoot them down unsuccessfully. Finn shouted from outside, as more rebels ran past by, some already engaged in one-on-one combat. Finn shouted to the inside of the ship, “Contact the armada! Tell them to send in the X-Wings!."

“I’ve tried, we do not have communications! Kriff!” she jumped and fired, hitting one of the TIE-fighters, as everyone below screamed and ran from the falling wreckage. The walkers were momentarily detained by the rubble before them, but some of the stormtroopers had been able to break through the lines, and were now very close to the shuttle. Chewie shouted at Rose and went out to help Finn who, throwing his spent blaster away, decided to launch himself over an incoming trooper with the vibro-ax that he carried on his back.

Chewie reached for his bowcaster, covering Finn from other troopers. The vibro-ax glowed in Finn’s hands as it clashed over the soldier’s weapon as he was preparing to fire it. The trooper reached for his control baton as he fell, bringing it forward to meet the ax descending on him. Chewie thought he heard someone shout “traitor," as the trooper got up and continued fighting. Chewie aimed at them, but he could not get a clear shot. He saw another rebel group assembling to the front of the ship and mounting a barricade - little did they knew that the ship could not move.

Suddenly, there was blaster fire and rocks and pebbles showered over them. Chewie looked up and saw Rose in the glass cubicle above, shouting as she aimed at the ATs that were now dangerously close. Where were Ewoks when they were needed? He continued firing and bellowing orders, creeping up closer to Finn. Suddenly, he heard a savage cry as the vibro-ax hummed and came down in an arc over the exposed breastplate of the trooper. It went from white to red.

Finn was out of breath, but immediately turned back and ducked as a shower of laser fire descended over them, targeting the ATs. It was the other assault ship, still tailed by one tie-fighter. It provided enough cover for Finn and Chewie to return into the shuttle.

“We need to contact Poe! We are bleeding here, the Senate must contact the fleet!."

“I’m doing what I can, you might as well try to walk over there yourself!” she was shouting as another explosion was heard on the field and they all looked up and saw the assault ship falling over the plateau, to the east.

“We have to move, we are trooper fodder here!” Finn said, turning away and heading for the armory. Suddenly, there was a static noise, followed by an high pitch. Everyone screamed and covered their ears, and Rose could see that every rebel troop on the field was also shouting and hunching, in pain, while the troopers remained in position. The pitch receded as a voice emerged, clear and precise.

“Rebel scum.”

Finn opened his eyes, the pain gone from his ears, recognizing the voice on the com. “It’s Hux”

Rose and Chewie looked at him and then at the com.

“Hand out your weapons and surrender. Or you can say goodbye to your General.”

There was static and they could hear commotion and someone fighting. Finally, they heard a shout, and next something heavy dropping to the floor.

“Poe? Poe!” Rose shouted.

“This is General Dameron. Drop your weapons.”

 

\-------

 

As the Falcon emerged from hyperspace, along with the shuttle of the Knights of Ren, the first thing Rey noticed were the Rebel ships, motionless, orbiting one of the moons of Naboo.

“I don’t like this," Rey commented, switching the communications and hailing the frigate commanded by D’Acy. She pressed the button a couple of times, but the signal was not going through, only static.

Ben was quiet, his eyes fixed over the atmosphere of Naboo. It was the first time he was seeing it since he was a little child, spending days on the country estate, enjoying the sun, the water and the comfort of their parents. He had been happy there. The last time he was happy before Snoke arrived: first through his dreams and then into his mind. And now, as he watched the haze of blues and greens bellow, he felt the same menace lurking.

“He is here,” Ben whispered.

Rey looked at him and then at the ships before her, trying to sense whatever he was feeling. She reached out, through the Force, holding on to his own thread, seeing it stretch in front of her like a road, falling into the planet’s surface, bright and blue. She felt exhilarated, it was the first time she experienced being guided by him, through their bond. She descended quickly through it, moving faster beyond his hold, dropping through the planet’s atmosphere.

There was a sound: someone was shouting her name from afar, and she saw the thread disappearing until there was nothing but her and the planet bellow. She heard it again, the voice of the child; Rey frowned and turned. A shadow blocked the light: it was there – the wave from her dreams, reaching to hold her. She opened her eyes in fear and was struck with a sudden pain and a violent push; it felt like being ripped apart.

Ben stood, as shaken as she, and panting, with his lightsaber in hand. She looked to her arm and saw the scorched skin, realizing the source of her pain. He fell on his knees beside her, shutting off the saber and reaching for her hand.

“I had to. You fell into it too quickly," his voice was strained. “It was the only way to bring you back...it was what I did…." He stopped, looking at her with pain in his eyes, remembering the days when he just wanted to escape from the voice tormenting him, and he forced himself to black out through pain. Rey felt those memories invading her, and she could not believe the amount of suffering he had been subjected to. She started to cry and reached for his face, kissing his forehead and cradling him.

Suddenly, a voice flooded the cockpit, clear as a lightning and unexpected.

“Welcome, scavenger. I assume that you have come for your friends. Do not worry, they are still in one piece." It was surprising how his loathing still felt palpable, even through the com.

“Release them, you snake,” she said, wiping her tears. The response was laughter.

“Oh, so I am the snake now? Not the traitor that stands beside you? By the way, how’s the hand, Solo?”

Ben kept silent, ignoring the obvious jab that was only meant to provoke him. He looked at Rey, remembering the first time the Force had bridged their minds and she had called him that. A snake. He couldn't contain the smile reaching his lips.

“Release them!” she demanded, her voice powerful and strong.

“Only your ship will be allowed to land. Any attempt to land any other ship will be met with swift retaliation. Every second you take longer I will execute a member of the Senate. Then we will see what happens to your friends” he said, no longer the tease and contempt in his voice, but a flat, robotic tone.

As soon as the com went off, Ben stood up and pressed the microphone in his ear.

“Maz.”

“Yes. I felt it too. It is coming.”

“I know.”

“The Knights are ready to be transferred to the Falcon. You know what you have to do.”

Ben took a sharp breath and his left eye trembled. He looked at Rey and saw the quizzical look spreading over her face, unaware of what was going on. Apparently, some form of plan had already been prepared by Maz and Ben. He took her hand and squeezed it.

“Do you trust me?”

 

\-----

 

She saw the palace and the large courtyard that led to the building that served as a temporary house of the remaining Senate of the Republic. It was large and wide enough for the Falcon to land, so she carefully positioned it by the entry, in case they had to make a rapid escape. Ben was standing behind, twitching his shoulders and stretching his neck.

“Ready?” she said, looking at him.

“Ready as I will ever be," he replied in a low voice and turning to the back, where the Knights were assembled, waiting for their Master’s command. They had transferred to the ship, leaving Maz to cover their escape in case they needed to blast their way out of the planet.

Rey looked at each one. They were checking their weapons, some sharpening their blades or adjusting their helmets. She didn’t get around to ask for names before. There was a sort of tension between them, like they did not want to cross some form of invisible barrier, out of respect for their Master. So Rey simply gave them numbers.

Six was the largest of the group, its shear bulk even overshadowing Ben. Opposite him, adjusting the daggers on his belt was Five, which was the complete opposite, small, but she could see the outline of his muscles coming through the tight clothes. Four and Three were identical, even in the way they moved, and how they gripped their blasters. Only the dent in Three’s helmet provided some form of distinction.

Two, the woman, was quietly sitting in the back. Rey could sense the threads of her probing, always near, always watching. She was wearing a cape, hiding her sword and ax underneath. And, finally, One. One was the same height as Ben, his closest bodyguard; he dressed almost exactly like Kylo, and his helmet was also very similar.

One was finishing stretching his glove over his hand and noticed her staring. He continued stretching the leather, stepping closer to her, until eventually the glove snapped and he clenched his fists, enjoying how the skin crackled. Rey stood her ground, clenching her teeth, feeling the waft of old leather and damp filling her nostrils. She had almost forgotten that smell; it was if she was back in that elevator, going up to her destiny, to face her doom. Ironically, it seemed like history was repeating itself.

The tall Knight finally nodded, slapping her shoulder for encouragement and turning back to his comrades. She saw Ben passing by, and standing next to One  exchanging some words. He looked at her, no hint of amusement in his eyes.

She could feel the rush of adrenaline pouring through all their veins, the Force pounding in her hears, the smell of blood iminent. The black outfits and masks, their unequivocal loyalty to their leader, that frenzy, was a reminder of Ben’s dark past. They were standing by him, even after leaving the First Order. Which meant that they shared their own Bond, like she did with Finn and Chewie. She felt glad that they were there, standing beside him. The only real friends that he probably ever had.

Rey touched the microphone that was now in her ear.

“Maz, are you there?”

“Rey…ebel ships...ping Naboo, they a...the ships….not detecting….ing...ey?”

“Maz? Maz?”

She turned to Ben, “The internal com is out." His eyes were understanding and he looked at his companions. “This is it. Stay on the lookout. I am sure that conniving cur has more Praetorians to defend him.” One turned to the Falcon’s door, sensing something. The vocoder filled the room “He is outside."

The party descended the ramp right into the red and yellow cobblestone courtyard, facing the large metal door that was the entrance to the Senate building, followed by a long, dark, empty corridor. It gave off a bad feeling, like an entrance to an Exogorth. Rey and Ben stood beside each other, sabers in hand, observing the surrounding walls and open corridors circling the place,  expecting troopers to emerge. But none appeared. The place looked deserted and abandoned, like a ghost town. The wind was picking up, making the capes of the Knights flow around them, as they tightened their grip around their weapons. They moved in an arc, surrounding their Master.

“Welcome."

Their heads snapped towards the entrance once more. It was no longer empty. Hux stood at the top of the steps, hands behind his back with a snarky smile. Slowly, the Praetorians emerged from the depths of the building, their red armour flashing brightly, their weapons humming, ready to ignite. Two were carrying the battered body of Poe Dameron. The other four were trailing behind, surrounding Chewie, Rose and Finn.

“Finn!” Rey shouted, unable to contain the pain that was seeing her friends held prisoners, at the mercy of that maniac. She held her lightsaber tight, wishing to just throw the damn thing at him already. Suddenly, she felt Ben reaching out like a wave, through the bond, making her steady. It worked, her focus zoning on the group that was now descending the stairs.

The Wookiee looked at Ben, who returned a neutral, dispassionate stare. He was different, Chewbacca thought, something in the way his shoulder were set, in his body language. Even so, he narrowed his eyes and huffed, observing the Knights of Ren as they fell into position, assuming their fighting stance.

Hux was at the front of the group, isolated. So much that Rey felt like she was walking into a trap – why was he so exposed?

“Scavenger. I am feeling benevolent. I will let your friends go into your ship and leave. But you two and your party will remain in their stead.”

Chewie snarled and was immediately brought down by an electro-chain whip, thrown by one of the guards. Rose screamed, as Finn shouted “Don’t Rey! Don’t listen to him!" as another guard hit him with the blunt portion of the voulger. Finn toppled over his stomach, as Rose came down to help him.

"Don't hurt them! We will stay put!"

As Rey signaled her agreement, immediately the Praetorians dropped Poe’s body on the floor. The pilot cried, reaching for his clearly broken arm. It felt like he had been trampled by a Bantha, ripped and torn to shreds. The remaining guards fell behind Chewie, Finn and Rose and pushed them on. Tumbling and wincing, they started shuffling forward, with Rose and Chewie now turning to Poe to help him get up.

Ben, Rey and the Knights moved to the left, aligning in a row, with an eye on the Praetorians, as they pushed the ragged party towards the Falcon. Poe looked at Rey and smiled. He knew now that he had treated her unfairly. With every blow of the guards, with every probing of his mind, Hux had been adamant in showing how he was planning to treat her and Ben Solo, making sure that Poe knew their suffering. His eyes went from her to Ben, and he clenched his jaw and narrowed his gaze, not bothering to hide the hatred that bubbled beneath him, for all that he once represented. Ben just continued staring, impassive, only conceding a polite nod.

Finn looked at Rey, anguish squeezing his heart for her friend. He felt conflicted: part of him wanted to say he was sorry, for not being there for her when she probably needed him most. But the other part of him still resented that she had not been able to tell him about Kylo Ren. His eyes flickered to the red lightsaber and his fists clenched. Suddenly, he saw the tall Knight taking a step and standing in front of Kylo. Finn immediately stopped and blinked, confused. His eyes narrowed, as he suddenly realized...

“It will be alright, Finn," Rey shouted, guessing his thoughts. He refocused, felling the resentment melt almost immediately, overcome by the terrible feeling that he was not going to see her again. He chewed the inside of his lip, hesitating, before yelling out to the Knight. “Don’t let him harm her, you hear me? Or I swear I will kill you myself!" Chewie seconded that statement, bellowing something towards the group. One squeezed his sword understanding what the Wookiee was saying, as did Rey, who smiled at both her friends. Her heart felt heavy for them. It felt like she was seeing them for the last time.

One by one, they entered the Falcon and the ramp finally went up. They heard the engines firing and as the ship began rising, Rey saw the cannon blaster redirect towards the front and she quickly looked at Ben, but not before Hux threw a hand towards the ship, and the Falcon locked in place trembling and screeching.

“How is it going to be? I feel my benevolence reaching its end. Should I crush you like a metal cup?”

An antenna snapped and came down with a clash. Ben could see the metal parts bending with the Force, close to being ripped apart. Finally, Rey stepped forward and shouted, “Let them go!” She opened to the Force and directed a blow at Hux, diverted swiftly by a Praetorian who stood in front of him. The armour absorbed part of the impact, but it wasn't enough to prevent him from stumbling and bending one knee. But it worked, it made Hux hesitate, at least enough for the Falcon’s engines to turn full blast, quickly exiting the area towards Naboo’s atmosphere.

Hux chuckled as the Falcon became a distant dot on the horizon “Fools. Do you really think that you can escape what is coming?" he remarked, stepping closer to the group while the Praetorians surrounded him. There was one for each of the knights, and they were already measuring each other, hands trailing towards blades and blasters, waiting for a command.

“I let your friends go because I want them to be front and center when the Void consumes you. I want them to feel desperate, to lose hope, to run. Their doom is certain, there is no escape.” He turned to Ben “You know this, do you not, Solo?" Ben clenched his jaw and looked at his knights. One was already holding his sword, ready for the signal. Six was pointing his massive axe at one of the Praetorians, as if saying, “I am coming for you and you alone."

“The Masters can take you whenever they want, scavenger. I just want for Ben Solo to see me break you spirit, before the inevitable.”

Ben suddenly shouted, igniting his lightsaber and running towards the center of the open plaza. One followed him, as the remaining knights circled Rey and clashed with the incoming Praetorians. Five threw the daggers straight to the armour’s weak points, as the red guard waved the vibro-voulge, deflecting all but two blades that nestled straight between the breast plates underneath his arm. Four and Three raised their blasters and fired at two Praetorians to weaken their armours, before reaching for their own vibro-blades ready to engage in contact, always in unisson. Two and Six were bramishing their axes, each of them focused on their guard, who were using a combination of vibro-arbir blades and electro whips. Six was relying on pure strength and bulk, but Two moved like a cat, in a flowing motion, cleverly avoiding each strike of the guard.

Ben swerved the lightsaber, bringing it in a low angle, as a Praetorian stood between him and Hux. He hit the guard straight in the legs, knowing that he was about to feel a backlash from the vibration of his red armour. But the blow was delivered with enough power that caused the guard to buckle slightly. That provided an opening for One to jump over him and forward, bringing the blade from the side and around, hoping to hit Hux full in the torso.

The red-haired General dropped and rolled to the side, like a crystal fox escaping a predator, and, igniting his black lightsaber, moved it up, meeting One’s blade, feeling it vibrate and crack.

“Really, Solo? Do you think I did not see you coming?” He reached his hand towards Ben, and crushing the morphing band around his wrist, he revealed the true nature of the person standing in front of him: a blond, blue eyed man. The real One.

He kicked the figure in front of him, making him roll to his back, and finally assume a crouching position. Ben Solo removed his mask and threw it to the side, raising the sword of his companion who was fighting for air, as the falling Praetorian moved towards him, his electro-bisento ready to strike.

Suddenly, there was a deep blue light rising in front of the guard, drawing an angle upwards, from the left to the right, locking his bisento in place. Rey snarled and grunted with effort, as she projected the Force with all the power she could, feeling the armour of the Praetorian resonate with the energy, sending shockwaves of pain into its occupant.

“How is it going to be, Solo? Her or him?” Hux tightened his grip on One’s neck, who looked at Ben and then at Rey. Ben’s eyes were intense, burning with the ecstasy of the fight and the fuel of adrenaline. His heart was racing, as the sounds of Rey’s fighting pounded in his ears, as did the shouts of his knights and the clashing of weapons.

For a moment, he closed his eyes, focusing himself, and then he threw the sword in Hux’s direction, who had to let go of the Force hold so he could divert the blade. Ben ran towards One, reaching for his lightsaber and igniting it, just as the knight fell. A flash of light, a blade missing him by inches and nestling right in the middle of One’s chest.

Rey shouted, feeling the guard giving in, a knee coming down. She curved her wrist and elbowed him in the chest, making him fall as she plunged the saber into him in a swift motion. Not missing a breath, she ran to Ben, ducking as she felt Hux directing a hold at her, a move she mimicked successfully, projecting him against the wall.

Ben was holding One in his arms, feeling utterly devastated. Rey felt it, the pain of the loss. She saw Han falling into the abyss, Leia falling into the Void and now, his friend. For better or worse, it was a friend, a companion. One’s lifeless eyes were suspended in Ben’s face, his hand grabbing his Master’s metal one, squeezing it tight, until the grip felt lax and his hand dropped. A rage erupted within the former Ren, as he let the body of his knight slip to the ground as he stood again, gripping the red saber in his hand.

Six was grunting, bleeding heavily from a deep wound in his gut. But still he fought, with all the will that he could. The Praetorian, tired as he was, had the advantage, and Ben winced as he saw another of his friends fall, the voulger slicing away his throat.

A shout came from the other side, as Three fell to the floor, his blood spraying over his nemesis. Armed with two blades, Four opened his arms and thrusted both hands, one to front and another to the back, penetrating the armour of both guards. One of the guards tumbled to the ground, but the other, doubling over in pain, was still able to thrust his blade and slice his opponents’ leg, before stumbling back.   

Five was lying motionless on top of another praetorian, who was bleeding heavily from a wound underneath his armpit. No wonder: Five’s blade was inserted there firmly, with his master’s hand still gripping it.

Two was nowhere to be seen, along with another Praetorian. Ben started running towards Four, who was toppling over, reaching for his throat.

“NO!” he shouted, seeing the knight dropping the blades, stretching his hands towards the guard that was now preparing to finish him with a stroke of his blade. Ben felt that rage again, exploding in his heart, as he reached his metal hand back and rammed the Praetorian with a blow, hearing his ribs crack at the same time of Four’s neck. Both men fell to the ground as Ben halted, panting, and glanced back. Hux had regained his position and his hand was motionless, suspended in the air. His face was inhuman, the skin cracking and dark blood oozing down.

“You will be left with nothing, Solo. One by one, your Knights have fallen.” He looked at Rey then, as she secured her footing, gaining traction. She was not going to fail, she had to do it, for all of their sakes: her friends, the Resistance, Maz, Luke and Ben.

She raised her saber, gripping the hilt until her fingers were red. The blue light shone with even more intensity, darkening, as she felt the Force melding with the Light inside, making her stronger. She felt Ben reaching through the bond, his heart beating faster and pounding in her ears has he gave her all that he could. She felt  that thread of his enfolding her, feeding her his Force.

Hux laughed, no longer his voice or himself. Only a vehicle of the impending doom that awaited them, if they failed to bring him down. “Fools! See as we conquer and destroy all of what you are and all that you ever will be!” he shouted, as he brought his black saber from the rubble behind him, and walked straight into Rey’s path. Ben started running, holding onto the thread, that only connection that fuelled them both of the Force.

Hux’s saber came crashing down over Rey, and she met it, straight on. The strength of the clash was such that all sounds muffled as a Force wave rippled out, making Ben lose his balance and fall. Rey branded the saber right and left, meeting every stroke, every push of her opponent's blade. He crouched, curving the saber inward as she jumped in the last minute and brought the saber over her back and down, missing his arm by an inch.

Hux took two steps back. “You are powerful Jedi, but not as powerful as my Masters. Soon, you will join them, but first–” he threw his hand up and she immediately felt the bond weakening. Ben had regained his footing, staggering forward, when he was rammed with the sheer brutality of the Dark. He clenched his teeth, falling to his knees, not giving up. It felt like a part of her was being severed, the pain too excruciating. She would not dare to look back and see what he was doing to Ben, she had to keep fighting. Tears welled up her eyes, as she felt the pain – his pain – washing over her.

“Feel it, scavenger. Feel the hope draining from him, draining from you, making you weak. He cannot help you now!”

Suddenly, Rey saw something small running behind Hux. It was the child, the little girl. She was laughing, a clear and crystal laugh that warmed Rey's heart. Her arms were open, she was running towards someone.

Rey looked beyond and saw Two, rising from the rubble. She was badly injured; Rey could see blood seeping through deep gashes across her torso. The knight slowly raised a blaster, wobbling, and then she fired a single shot, before collapsing. Rey used all the focus she could muster, feeling her insides ripping apart, feeling Ben slipping away. She raised her hand and direct the shot towards Hux, feeling it going through his leg, making him scream in pain - a high pitched noise, like an screeching animal.

“Enough,” she grunted, raising her lightsaber. “DIE!" She covered the distance in what felt like two steps, driven by a maddening pain, holding on to the small remnants of the Force she could. She raised the now white saber, and in one swift move of her arm, she saw the blade run through Hux’s neck, severing his head, which tumbled to the floor. She immediately fell on her knees, succumbing to the pain. She panted, with effort, as the blood of Armitage Hux, black and putrid, spread through the courtyard.

She felt a tightness. Her head shot back, seeing Ben trying to raise himself off the floor, but failing miserably. She dragged herself, feeling Hux’s blood seeping through her fingers as she crawled towards him. She reached for his shoulders and rolled him over, making his head rest on her lap. His neck was red and purple; his voice was barely a whisper.

“You...did it...scavenger," he whispered. Ben raised his trembling hand trying to caress her face. His metal fingers were warm and trailed from her cheek to her mouth. Her tears started to run down freely, has she held his other hand and lowered her lips onto his, feeling his ragged breath and the warmth of his soul as it flowed through her, like velvet.

“Rey...I am bleeding inside,” he stated. Rey held on to him, willing it to be a lie, but she knew that it wasn’t. She could see his face ashened, the fingers limp and losing their grip, the Force leaving.

“No...Ben, No. You will be alright, please, I can fix you," she said, gripping his clothes tightly, projecting the small amount of Force that she had to keep him alive.

He smiled, looking at her. “You already did," he said, as his eyes closed.

Rey was stunned, her mouth open, unable to speak. She shook him, her voice a strangled cry “Ben! Ben! NO, NO, NO!” she cradled him close. No amount of screaming could numb the pain that was tearing her apart.

Between the tears and the screams, she saw the girl again, in the distance, standing behind the other Ben, his other version, his other self, holding his hand. It was as if they were holding her in turn. Slowly, Rey calmed down, feeling something of her tattered soul being restiched, her heart flooded with a warm, familiar feeling. She looked at the lifeless face, so calm and beautiful, and then at his equal, standing before her. He smiled and nodded, looking ahead, to something behind her.

She heard a loud rumble and stiffened, turning her head slowly, in the direction of Hux’s body. A great column of dense and thick black liquid raised above the severed body, rising into the sky and spreading rapidly in all directions. The great wave of their nightmares was now, finally, before her, and not weakened by its pupil’s death.

The black fluid spread, rising and blocking in the sun, as the ground shook in fury, as rock parted and smashed, and buildings toppled like cards, raising havoc. Rey saw large chunks of buildings rising from the ground and floating towards the dark hole in the sky, as it picked up speed. Suddenly, she heard voices from inside the Darkness.

_“You can’t win. Join us, scavenger, and together we can build the Universe anew. We can make him live, once more.”_

Rey looked at Ben’s face and traced his scar. “I will meet you soon, in another universe." She kissed him again, placing her hands on his cheeks, damp by her tears. His scar felt raw and alive against her palm. A certainty came into her, solid and clear. She knew what to do.

Placing his head gently on the floor, she got up and gave a final look at the girl and the man, still holding hands, still watching over her. He jerked, as if he was about to say something, but then stopped. Rey smiled, whispering, "I am coming."

She turned around, both lightsabers in her hand: hers and Ben’s. She stepped in front of the Dark, as the great wave kept rising above her, just like her dream.

“We win.” She shouted at the Void, challenging it. The wave rippled and she could see its edge, turning towards her, crashing down and taking her in, consuming her into its depths.

As she felt the weight of Darkness entering her, Rey turned both sabers to her heart, igniting them just as the wave hit her in full.  The kyber crystals melted with her core, and a blast of pure energy exploded with a terrifying force, in a blinding Light that spread throughout the Galaxy.

 

\-------

 

Finn, Chewie, Poe and Rose were looking out the window of the Falcon’s cockpit. The fleet had suddenly regained power, allowing them to maneuver away from Naboo, as they saw the Void emerging from the planet’s inside, rapidly covering its atmosphere.

They were silent, as they saw the dark mass spreading. Rose placed a hand over Finn’s shoulder, squeezing it. Chewie bellowed, a long and sad cry. Suddenly, there was a voice over the com. It was Maz.

"Look!”

Poe squinted his eyes, and saw a single point of Light emerging from the Dark. Suddenly, the Dark mass rippled and quivered, ripping apart, with rays of Light bursting through from the planet’s surface, pushing the Dark away. Poe covered his eyes, the Light blinding and hurtful, as the Dark dissolved, consumed by its power.

Rose shouted, above the noise of the alarms that suddenly started chiming at the same time. “It’s going! We must get away!” She reached for the commands of the Falcon and rapidly turned, escaping the magnetic pull of the Event. The engines were at full thrust, but still she was feeling the pull on their tail.

Finn dragged himself into the cannon porthole and watched, in awe, as the planet became a sphere of pure blinding Light. He raised his hands, trying to see through his parted fingers.

Poe shouted from behind: “Punch it, punch it, Rose! We are being sucked in!" But Finn just raised his other hand, placing it over the glass, feeling the warmth of the Light, letting it soak his bones. It felt like Rey was there, holding him in her arms. And he felt joy in his heart.

Suddenly, the Falcon reared and, with a jolt, jumped forward at an impressive speed, as the sphere finally exploded in a ripple of Light, spreading its warmth across all corners of the Galaxy.

Finn just kept his hand on the window, as the Light became a beacon, in the distance.

“Farewell, Rey.”

 

**EPILOGUE**

Finally, he was home. He descended the speeder and dusted off his clothes. It had been an unusual day in Tatooine, with sudden storms and high winds, which had made him restless through the day at the Academy. There was something bothering him and he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

First the dream he had that night, seeing her before him, more powerful than ever, rising her lightsaber, her eyes burning with hurt and ferocity. That dark shadow, tumbling down on her, and she met it, head on. The thunderstorms and the dark clouds on the horizon reminded him of that dream. His mind travelled often towards home, and he was counting the minutes before he mounted the speeder and rushed towards the mountains.

He could feel the sand in his eyes and in his mouth, despite the heavy goggles and the turban around his head. "I desperately need a shower, kriff", he mumbled shaking his boots when he finally descended at the courtyard of his house. He looked at the entry of the large compound, there was no one in sight. His heart tightened.

"Rey?" he shouted. Nothing.

Quickly, he ran towards one of the houses and descended into its depths, towards the bedrooms, were it was cooler. He heard the sound of running water and immediately calmed down. He entered the room, quietly, not wanting to disturb her.

He just stood there, seeing the water running down her back, the soap enveloping her slender, strong, figure. He swallowed. She still shook his core, just like the first time he had stepped into her emporium, back on Tosche station.

Slowly, he started to undress. All day he had thought of her, wanted her near him, the images from the dream weighing heavily on his soul, so much that he could scarcely breathe. That was what had been bothering him: not seeing her.

As Rey turned she yelped, frightened. “Oh, kriff...BEN, you scared me!” she stopped, seeing his face so serious "What is it?" He came closer, the last remnants of his sandy clothes tossed onto the floor. Rey frowned slightly, seeing the dirt on them, but then refocused on him. He just entered the shower and embraced her, tightly.

"Something happened?"

Slowly, he exhaled and closed his eyes, feeling the warm water washing the anguish and the anxiety away. "All day I have been restless. Like something was missing," he whispered, pushing her gently and looking into her hazel eyes, "It was you."

Rey blinked, disconcerted, seeing him so disturbed. He sounded nothing like him. Placing her hands around his nape, she rested her forehead against his, before kissing him lightly. "I am here" she whispered back. Suddenly, he gripped her back and deepened the kiss. A heat stirred inside, feeling his arousal against her body. He kissed her neck, and she closed her eyes enjoying that rush.

“Padme will be home soon.” She was able to say, between ragged breaths.

He leaned her against the wall, as he moved one palm over his face and raked the jet black hair already dripping wet. His eyes burned her with longing and desire, causing Rey to frown – she had only seen him like this when he thought of the past, and her heart jumped.

His hands reached for her hips and he raised her, pinning her to the shower wall  with a feral grunt. Rey claimed his mouth, hungrily, and took no time wrapping her legs around him, a moan escaping her lips as he slowly took her, feeling her clench around him.  

He whispered into her hear, as he thrusted, frantic. The words, from the dream some nights ago, race to his mind and he cannot stop from muttering them "My equal, my other self." Rey holds him, tight, letting him ride his agony away, feeling the tears falling freely from her eyes. It is love, hurt, loss, anguish, every time he thrusts and she melts, feeling her core winding.  

She cries out, shutting her eyes and scrunching his hair as the orgasm takes her. He remembers his vision, his dream? – _he doesn’t know where she starts or he ends, the words escaping his lips are incoherent, fragmented_. He pushes her against the cool, wet wall of the shower as his turn comes and he cries out in ecstasy, feeling that shivering rush of their bonding and then leave, like a wave, until it finally subsides.

His heart is racing as he gently puts her down. She looks at him and sees him crying. Her heart clenches and she cups his cheeks in her hands, rubbing away the tears.  "What happened, Ben? I've never seen you like this." He catches his breath and reaching her fingers with his own, brings them to his lips, kissing them. He looks at her and his left eye trembles. He is about to answer, when they hear commotion outside, a laughter and an engine running.

"It's your uncle, he is helping Padme with the speeder" Rey answers.

Ben kisses her again, deeply, and then he turns, reaching for their towels and rapidly drying himself. Next he takes some black slacks and a grey tunic. He stops, seeing his goggles on the floor, next to the dirty cream clothes.

“I told him he could join us for dinner – if you don’t mind," she said, breaking his trance.

"Oh?"

“Luke. I invited him for dinner.” She was finishing drying her hair, before turning to the closet to search for a tunic herself. "Why don't you go and have a look at the speeder? She's been dying to show you since she got back from school”.

 

\------

 

Luke was in the inner courtyard, hunched over the small red speeder. “Dad! Uncle Luke came to pick me up and we got the part we needed!” Padme ran towards her father, arms raised and face smudge with oil. Ben smiled and held her up, spinning her like she liked it. "Faster! Faster!" she demanded.

"She is going to be a pilot, like his father, she tells me."

Ben puts his daughter down and she immediately returns to work. Luke scratches his beard and frowns. "She is good. I think you are in trouble." The old man chuckles as he taps his nephew's shoulder. Ben keeps quiet, his gaze distant.

"What is it?" Luke asks.

Ben sighed and bit his lip. Luke looked at him, quizzically.

"The whole afternoon, there was this feeling. It felt like I had lost her, ” he looked at the old man, his eyes still glossy from the tears “Rey”. He suddenly composes himself, shaking his head and swallowing. “Which is stupid, I know" he finally admits.

The old man smiled, knowingly, and crossed his arms. "I felt it. An Event in the Force", Luke says in a dark tone. Ben snapped his head, looking at his uncle, which smirks at his reaction. "You are a Skywalker, Ben. No matter what your father told you."

"But what does it mean? What I felt?"

Luke held his nephew's gaze with his own. "That you and Rey are meant to be together. Always."

They turned suddenly, hearing the engine of the small speeder roaring to life. Ben approached the speeder and muzzled the girl’s hair. “Aren’t you the little scavenger? Make sure you tell that to your mother for extra points” he said, winking. Padme nodded.

“Can we go test it now, please?” she said, batting her eyelashes.

“Can’t it wait after dinner? Uncle Luke is staying, there is no need to rush.”

Padme’s smile became a frown. Luke looked at Ben and he got a nod in response “Dinner can wait, right Dad? Come on Padme, let’s see how she’s doing.”

“Oh, it’s a she?” Ben remarks.

Padme looked at her father, clearly annoyed “Off course it’s a she, I build it, it’s a she.” Ben laughed and helped his uncle getting the speeder out of the courtyard and into the dirt road, where his own speeder was parked.

A double sunset and no wind. It had turned into a perfect late afternoon. Ben took his position on the top of a small mound, right next to the road, where he could gaze on the perfect scene: his daughter, riding the speeder and his uncle, helping and guiding her.

“So, she finally got it fixed.” Rey approached him, moving to the front as he surrounded her with his large arms. He buried his nose in her hair: she smelled of porridge and honey. It was an all too familiar scent. For a moment, he could see her in his dream again, strong and powerful before him, holding two lightsabers. Charging the darkness. And conquering it.

Padme waved at her mother, clearly excited to show her efforts come into fruition. “Be careful!” Rey shouted, as the speeder came to life resulting in cheerful child screams and applause by Luke.

Ben squeezed her tight. “Thank you” he murmured.

“For what?”, she said with a smile.

“For being the Light in the Dark. For pointing me home” he whispered.

They both stood there, in silence, watching their daughter ride away under the twilight of a double sunset.

 

_**THE END** _


End file.
